Never Stood a Chance
by HorcruxFinder
Summary: Although she was three years younger, Oliver found himself falling in love against all odds. Oliver's POV. A series of Oliver/Katie drabbles. Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**So, here's the Oliver POV story that I promised. It originally started out as a oneshot, but it kind of grew. A lot. I just found him so interesting to write and I had to continue. It deals with Oliver and Katie's relationship starting from the day they meet in a series of drabbles. Enjoy.**

**::--::--::--::**

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." –James Baldwin

**::--::--::--::**

**NEVER STOOD A CHANCE**

_Fifth Year_

Mother of Merlin, save me!

How is it even possible that all of the talent Gryffindor House formerly possessed graduated with Charlie Weasley?

In some ways I was prepared for this—Charlie was an amazing Seeker and I didn't expect to be able to replace him adequately. But isn't there someone out there with at least half of his talent?

As Bobby Liepsing follows the snitch straight into a goal post, I get my answer. I clench my teeth in frustration and ignore the snickers of my teammates as I fly over to the group of assembled Seeker prospects.

I land lightly on my feet in front of them, Angelina and Alicia close behind. They probably think I'm about to strangle Liepsing. Sadly, they know me too well.

I resist the urge to yell and instead dismiss the remaining Gryffindors with a curt, "We'll let you know." As they file off the field in one direction, I head in the other.

"My first year as Captain and this is what I get," I mutter to myself. "How the hell did Charlie do this?"

"Aw, it's not _that_ bad, Oliver," Alicia says from behind me. Angelina's laughter, however, cancels out her friend's previous statement.

"That's it!" I cry, aggravated. "I can't do this—I'm leaving!"

"No, no, Oliver, come back!" Angelina cries, calming her laughter to run after me. "You've still got to look at the Chasers. We need one of them too, remember?"

Of course I bloody well remember! How could I not remember us losing our Seeker _and_ our best Chaser? Why me? Why this year?

"I can't do this tonight, Ange. Just send them back and I'll reschedule. We need to have a team meeting and it's getting late, anyway."

My two Chasers groan, but rush off to relay the news. As for me, I collapse on the ground right there where I'm standing. I guess we're just going to have the team meeting here, because I definitely don't have the energy to get up.

I watch in silence as the Chaser prospects drift off of the pitch. Although I didn't examine them thoroughly, just watching in warm-ups was enough. None of them is what I'm looking for. Maybe I'm just being too picky…

It's going to be a long year.

Angelina and Alicia make their way back over to me, but the Weasley twins are not with them. Resigning myself to be their permanent caretaker, I scan the pitch for my Beaters.

It doesn't take me long to spot them, flirting heavily with some girl on the sidelines. And she's clutching a broom. Great. They've already managed to eliminate one possible teammate. No way are there going to be any romantic interactions on _my _Quidditch team.

"FRED! GEORGE!" I yell. They turn to look at me but, obviously finding me unimportant, they turn back to the girl.

I can already tell that they are going to cause me some problems this year. They respected Charlie as Captain because he was their brother and they had to. In their eyes, I have no authority over them.

"What the hell do those two think they're doing?" I groan as Angelina and Alicia arrive next to me. Alicia just shrugs, but Angelina looks over curiously.

"Oh, that's just Katie," she answers. "I told her to meet us here after tryouts to throw the quaffle around a little, but I guess she came early. Fred can spot her from a mile away."

"That's not disturbing at all," I mutter as Angelina calls the girl over. Like lost puppies, the twins follow.

When she gets nearer I recognize her as a Gryffindor second year, although I've never had much contact with her. While she's much too young for me, I can see why Fred and George are entranced. Her wavy blonde hair hangs past her shoulders and I can see her vibrant green eyes even from a distance. She's undeniably going to break some poor bloke's heart one day.

But why the hell does she have to be on _my_ pitch? Now?

"Oliver, mate, can we hurry this up, please?" Fred asks as soon as he's close enough. "I have a date with Katie, here."

"You do not!" the girl defends herself. "Sorry," she says to me. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Although I want to get mad, I can't. "It's fine," I mutter. "This isn't important anyway. I'll reschedule the tryouts and we'll do this again next week."

Angelina, Alicia, Fred, and George look at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I demand.

"That's it?" Fred asks after a brief pause. "No long spiel about how this Seeker-thing is somehow our fault?"

"You're not even going to yell at us for inviting Katie?" George adds.

"You didn't invite Katie—I did!" Angelina retorts.

"So you weren't planning on trying out?" I ask, turning to the girl.

"Oh, no," she says, doing a double take when she realizes I'm talking to her. "I'm not really into organized sports. I just play for fun."

"Well, are you any good?" I ask. I see all four of my teammates roll their eyes.

"Oliver, she's just here to have some fun," Alicia says, exasperated.

"You're welcome to stay if you want," George adds. "It'll make the teams even." Although my typical answer would be no, something keeps me there.

"Fine. I'll play." The shocked looks on my teammate's faces don't escape my notice, but I choose to ignore them as I kick off the ground. Katie's the first to follow me into the air and the others follow suit. "So, how are we splitting up the teams?" I ask joyfully as the wind whips my face. Nothing is better than this.

"Girls against guys," Alicia says immediately.

"Uh…that's not fair," I argue. "You and Angelina both play Chaser. We need to even out the talent."

"Well then how do you propose we do this, O Captain, My Captain," Fred laughs.

Completely comfortable with taking control, I split us into two teams: Fred, Alicia, and Katie against Angelina, George, and me. Fred and I take the goal posts as the other four move to the center of the pitch.

In my opinion, there's no way we can't win. Fred doesn't know how to play Keeper and Katie's not even on the team. Plus, Angelina's our best Chaser. Although I made it seem like the talent was evenly distributed, I gave my own team the advantage.

I'm not going to lie. I like winning. Even if it is "just for fun."

Within seconds of the quaffle being released, I realize my mistake. I'd underestimated the talent of Katie Bell—the teams were better matched than I anticipated.

As I'd expected, Fred was hopeless in the goal. This hardly seemed to matter, however, because Katie and Alicia worked so well together that Angelina's attempts to score were easily evaded. George was no help at all.

Although Alicia's a good Chaser, I'm slightly better as a Keeper. Plus, since I'm her Captain I've been watching her play for weeks. It's become relatively easy to anticipate her every move. Katie, however, is unpredictable. They soon realize my disadvantage and begin passing the quaffle to her more and more often.

I never stood a chance.

The six of us land several hours later, the score embarrassingly favored towards Katie's team. And the thing it that I don't really mind. Because I've found my Chaser and I'm not taking no for an answer.

**--::--::--::--::--**

**I'll try to update this story every few days. It shouldn't be too hard since I already have it written. I've just got to find the time to type it up. For those of you who have read Love and Quidditch/Love and War, it isn't compatible with those stories. Sorry. But I still like it.**

**Next chapter:**

"Hey, I've got an idea! What if _you_ were my first kiss?" -Katie to Oliver

**Review, please :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving. In light of the holidays, here's chapter two :D**

**::--::--::--::**

"I ran up the door, opened the stairs, said my pajamas and put on my prayers - turned off my bed, tumbled into my light, and all because he kissed me good-night!" –Anonymous

**::--::--::--::**

_Sixth Year:_

"Hey," a familiar voice whispers, sneaking up behind me in what I thought was an empty common room. I turn around, startled. "Sorry," Katie apologizes, taking the seat next to me on the sofa. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," I shrug. "What are you still doing up?"

"I just couldn't sleep," she says, pushing her hair away from her face as she brings her knees up to her chest. One look into her eyes tells me that something more is bothering her.

"Katie, what's wrong?" I ask, taking her hand in mine comfortingly. Her fingers are like ice. "Merlin, you're cold," I exclaim, shrugging out of my jacket and passing it to her. On any other day she wouldn't take it, but I can tell that she finds this option favorable to freezing.

"I'm just scared," she admits after several minutes of silence. Katie's a very proud person—she would _never_ admit her fears unless it was something that she thought couldn't be handled alone. "All of these people being petrified—it scares me."

Strangely, that's the first time I've given it much thought. Sure this whole Chamber of Secrets thing pisses me off a bit, but my main concern is when Quidditch is going to start back. I'm a Pureblood. For the first time, I realize that some of the people I love aren't. How could I have been so selfish?

"Katie," I sigh, pulling her against me and hugging her tightly. "Everything's going to be okay."

"You can't possibly know that," she says, burying her head in my shoulder.

"You're not even a muggleborn," I argue, stroking her hair gently. It doesn't escape my notice that this is the closest I've ever been to her, but my affections are strictly brotherly. Fred and George treat her the same way. She's gorgeous, but she's fourteen. I'm not even going to go there.

"But whoever's doing his might not know that. With my mum dead, I'm practically a mudblood anyway." The foul word coming from her mouth takes me by surprise and I pull away.

"Sorry," she mumbles. "But it's true."

"No, it's not," I retort. We sit together for a few seconds, both of us trying to figure out how to bridge the uncomfortable silence.

"So, how's it going between you and that Ravenclaw?" she finally asks. Although I want to press our original subject further, I know she's already opened up too much for one night.

"Eh…it's okay, but she's nothing special."

"Then why are you still with her?" Katie asks matter-of-factly.

"Just something to do," I shrug. I see her cringe slightly at my answer. "What?"

"Girls treat relationships differently, Oliver. You shouldn't drag her along."

"Yeah?" I laugh. "What about you, Miss Bell? Aren't you dating Roger Davies's kid brother?"

She rolls her eyes and folds her arms across her chest stubbornly. "What does it matter?"

"I've been watching you, Katie. You don't like him any more that I like Isabelle."

"I do too!" she argues.

"Just keep trying to convince yourself of that," I shrug, leaning back on the couch smugly.

"You're infuriating—you know that, right?" she asks.

"Just admit it, Katie. You're in your relationship for the same reason I'm in mine—it's just something to get your mind off all this other crap."

"Actually, you're wrong," she says seriously, turning to face me. "I thought I liked him when we got together, but it turns out I was wrong. I just don't want to hurt his feelings by breaking up with him now."

"You can't stay in a relationship that you don't want to be in," I advice. "It'll kill you."

"I'm beginning to realize that," she mutters.

"How so?" I question, suddenly worrying that Braden Davies has forced her to do more than she's ready for.

"Nothing; it's stupid," she says, brushing off my question.

"If it's bothering you, then it's _not_ stupid."

"It _is_ though," she sighs. "He keeps trying to kiss me, but I really don't want my first kiss to be with him." I stare at her stunned for a few seconds. "See! I told you it's stupid," she cries, leaping up from her spot on the couch.

"It's not stupid," I insist, grabbing her wrist to keep her from retreating. "It just took me by surprise. You've been with him for almost a month. He really hasn't kissed you yet?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping he'd break up with me before it came down to this," she shrugs. I can't help but chuckle slightly and, to my surprise, she laughs along with me. "I just want my first kiss to be with someone special, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," I answer, pulling her back down to sit next to me on the couch.

"So, who was_ your_ first kiss?" she asks unabashed.

"Her name was Kelsey Flaherty," I shrug. "She graduated with Charlie Weasley. I still don't really know how I managed that one." She laughs brightly and I take comfort in the fact that she's feeling a little better now.

"Hey," she says suddenly, looking over at me with bright eyes. "Why don't _you_ kiss me?" My heart stops beating for several seconds. Is she serious?

"Katie…"

"No, Oliver—think about it! Me and you are friends, right? And it's just a harmless kiss. This way I won't have to break up with Braden for at least a couple more weeks."

"What happened to you wanting your first kiss to be special?" I argue. Truth be told, I'd gladly kiss Katie just to see what it would be like but I'm not going to pressure her into anything.

"You're special enough," she shrugs. "Please?"

"Katie, I can't. I'm your Quidditch captain!"

"Well, I've made up my mind," she states. "It's either you or one of the twins. If you won't do it, then I'm waking one of them up."

"You wouldn't."

"Sure I would and you know it. Everyone says their pretty extraordinary kissers." For some unknown reason, a surge of jealousy rips through my body at the thought of Fred touching her. He'd be more than willing to oblige, even if George was too much of a gentleman to do so.

"I'll do it," I groan and a broad grin spreads across her face.

"Good. I'd much rather it was you, anyway." Well at least she has _some_ sense in that pretty little head of hers.

"So, what now?' I ask awkwardly.

"I don't know. I've never done this before."

"Well then..." I just sit there waiting for her to do something. She scans the room for a second before hopping up and taking me by the hand. Without a word, she pulls me towards the double doors leading to the balcony.

"Katie, it's freezing out there," I warn as she opens the door.

"I'm not cold," she smirks. "I have your jacket, remember?" I roll my eyes as she shuts the door behind us. Rather than move any closer to me, she just stands there, looking up at the nearly full moon.

I just let her stare, wrapping my own arms around myself for warmth. After several minutes, however, I start to get annoyed.

"Katie, I really am cold," I prompt.

"Oh, sorry," she laughs, meeting my gaze for the first time since we stepped outside. "It's just so beautiful…"

Her voice trails off once more as she looks again at the sky. Frustrated, I look up too. The stars shine brightly above me (I guess you could call it beautiful), but I take no interest in the stars.

Instead, I turn my gaze to the girl standing in front of me. The crisp winter air is blowing her hair in every direction and, although I would never admit it to anyone, I take pleasure in the way she continues to snuggle ever deeper into my jacket.

She turns back to me, apologetic once more, but I no longer care about the temperature because I'm lost in her deep green eyes, brighter than any star.

Without hesitation, I grab her waist and pull her into a deep kiss. She kisses back with an expertise I hadn't been expecting and I can't help but wonder if this whole thing was just a plot to make me kiss her.

Before long, I don't care.

Her warm hands burn over my freezing flesh and thoughts I never thought I'd have about my youngest Chaser fill me. Realizing that if I don't stop now, I'm not going to be able to, I end the kiss. We disentangle ourselves form each other, both breathing heavily.

"Thank you," she finally mutters. I want to reply with some witty comment, but I find myself literally speechless. She laughs lightly before disappearing back into Gryffindor Tower.

I never stood a chance.

Because with that one kiss, I was falling hopelessly in love with the one person I could never have.

**--::--::--::--::--**

**Once again, this is a drabble series. It's going to include isolated instances from Oliver and Katie's relationship as I see it.**

**Next chapter:**

Angelina's been inviting me to this pool party every year since I can remember, but I've never gone. Not once. So why the change of mind? Because I haven't been able to get Katie Bell off of my mind all summer long. –Oliver

**Review, please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**::--::--::--::**

"One of the hardest things in life is watching the person you love, love someone else." -Anonymous

**::--::--::--::**

_The summer before 7__th__ Year:_

As I make my way towards Angelina Johnson's front door, I can't help but question my own sanity. Parties have never been very high up on my priority list—especially not ones where a bathing suit is required. I'm much more comfortable in the air than under the water.

Angelina's been inviting me to this pool party every year since I can remember, but I've never gone. Not once. So why the change of mind? Because I haven't been able to get Katie Bell off of my mind all summer long.

It was only one day into the break when I realized I wasn't going to make it through the summer without having some form of contact with her. Even though it was against my better judgment and took all of the courage I could muster, I owled her. To my surprise, she owled back. She didn't even question why I would suddenly take interest in her life, she just let me do it.

There's absolutely no point in me denying my feelings for her anymore. I've never been one to lie to myself and there's no doubt in my mind that I'm falling hard for Katie Bell.

It doesn't change anything, however. She's still my youngest Chaser, although I know for a fact that she turns 15 in three months. She's too young for me and I can't even imagine what people would say.

I walk straight into the Johnson's house without knocking. I'm comfortable enough with the family to do so, although it hardly matters because I doubt anyone would be able to hear a knock anyway.

I scan the main room briefly, but I don't see Katie anywhere. Figuring that she's probably outside, I make my way to the back door. This proves to be more difficult than I imagined, however, as it seems that all of Gryffindor house has packed itself into the Johnson's family room.

When I finally pull myself away from Percy Weasley (flashing his new Head Boy badge arrogantly), I'm able to sneak to the back door and look out. And there, laughing amiably between the two Weasley twins, sits Katie Bell in the hottest black bikini I've ever seen. Just the sight of her bare skin has my imagination working in overdrive; I turn away from the door quickly. Those are not thoughts I can entertain!

"Oi, Oliver! Is that you, mate?" I turn around to find one of Angelina's two older brothers standing in front of me.

"Ryan!" I greet as he pulls me into a hug. The Johnson's have been friends with my family since before I was born. We live close and our parents went to school together, so Ryan and I were like brothers growing up since he's only a year younger than me. We've gotten distant with years, but we're still friends.

"So, who are you avoiding?" he asks me with a smirk.

"No one," I lie.

"Well, if you get bored out there, I've got a whole crate of Firewhiskey in my room. I need to get rid of it before my parents get back in town so help yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," I laugh.

"Oh, but knock first," he warns as I begin to walk off. "Some of Angelina's friends are hot." His eyes travel out to the poolside and it's not hard for me to imagine them coming to a stop on Katie. I give him a curt nod before stepping outside.

Katie's eyes immediately lock with mine as I shut the door, almost as if she was waiting for me to arrive (or at least that's what I'm going to tell myself). I smile at her and she motions me over. Without question, I obey.

"Oliver!" Fred greets. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah," George adds. "You never come to these things. Aren't you worried people will actually begin to think you have a social life?"

"I do have a social life, thank you very much," I defend myself.

"Sitting in your room, coming up with Quidditch plays does not count as a social life," Angelina corrects, walking over with four drinks tucked under her arms. Katie laughs lightly as Angelina passes out the drinks. "Drink them fast," she instructs, "Before Ryan figures out I filched them from his room." To my surprise, she hands the fourth Firewhiskey to me rather than Katie.

"You not drinking?" I ask her with a smirk. Last time I checked, she had no moral obligations against alcohol. In fact, at the end-of-term party I distinctly remember her and Fred having a drinking contest. He's a bad influence on her…

"Fred won't let me," she says disdainfully.

"Damn right I won't let you," Fred says after taking a swig of his own drink. "You don't work well under the influence—you'd end up drowning yourself."

"That is so not true and you know it," she retorts, getting up from her seat and slipping a short white skirt on over her bikini bottoms.

"Where are you going?" I ask as she slips her flip flops on also. She just shrugs and I can't help but watch the sway of her hips as she disappears into the house.

"Merlin, you guys are pigs," Angelina laughs and Fred, George, and I immediately bring our attention back to her.

"What?" Fred laughs. "I can't help it I that she got hot over the summer!"

"Who got hot over the summer?" Alicia asks, making her way over to us.

"You, of course," George smirks, pulling Alicia to his side. She rolls her eyes and pushes him away.

"No, seriously. Who's hot?" she asks again.

"Katie Bell," Fred says slowly as if savoring the taste of her name on his lips. Alicia rolls her eyes once more.

"She's always been gorgeous, you pricks. It's not her fault you're just now noticing."

"Even Oliver was looking," Angelina accuses with a laugh.

"You have a pool party and expect me not to look at the girls?" I retort, trying to cover up my obvious interest.

"I just expected better of you, Captain," she says. I roll my eyes.

"So what's the real reason you're not letting her drink?" I ask Fred.

"_Her_ brother," he says, pointing to Angelina.

"Ryan fancies Katie," Angelina admits. "Fred's worried that he'd take advantage of her if she gets too much alcohol in her system."

"He bloody well would and you know it!"

Suddenly, Lee Jordan and Cameron Johnson (Angelina's eldest brother) appear out of nowhere and wrestle Fred and George into the pool. While everyone's sufficiently distracted, I slip quietly back into the house.

It doesn't take me long to spot Katie chatting with some of her Ravenclaw friends in the kitchen. A group of fourth year boys stand beside me and I hear them debating whether to go talk to her or not. Her sudden popularity takes me by surprise. Have I just been oblivious for four years or is this interest in my Chaser a new thing?

Without pausing to think (because I would probably stop myself), I make my way over to her.

"Hey," I whisper in her ear and she jumps slightly before turning to face me.

"Hey," she says with a smile. I can't help but notice that she has a plastic cup in her hand and it instantly makes me curious.

"What are you drinking?" I ask, reaching for the cup. She pulls it away.

"Pumpkin juice," she replies simply.

"Yeah right," I laugh.

"It's Fred's fault!" she defends herself. "I didn't even want any Firewhiskey until he told me I couldn't have it. And I handle my alcohol just fine, thank you."

"Of course you do," I say sarcastically. She laughs lightly because she knows it's a lie.

"I still don't see a problem…"

"I'll tell you the problem. You're wearing next to nothing and if after a few drinks you feel inclined to do so, I'm sure that bikini top wouldn't be too hard to get off. The last thing Angelina's going to want is for you to flash her guests."

A deep red blush spreads across her cheeks. "It really is only Pumpkin juice," she says, offering me the cup. "My dad would _kill_ me if I came home drunk." I look quickly into the cup and, sure enough, it's Pumpkin Juice.

"Maybe you have some common sense after all, Katie Bell."

"I highly doubt it," she snorts. "If I had any common sense at all I wouldn't…nevermind," she stops herself.

"Nevermind? You can't just end a conversation with nevermind."

"Sure I can—I believe I just did," she retorts.

The din from the crowd gathered in the kitchen drowns out the rest of her words. I'm about the move closer when Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who are trying to keep a bag of crisps away from Neville Longbottom, suddenly back straight into Katie. She stumbles forward but I'm able to catch her around the waist before she falls.

We just stare at each other for several seconds as Seamus apologizes profusely, but neither of us moves.

"I've really enjoyed your letters this summer, Oliver," she admits, my arms still wrapped tightly around her waist. She's so close to me that I can feel her heart beating against my chest. I can't find words to form a response.

"Do you want to…go somewhere?" she asks, still staring into my eyes. Her question confuses me. "So we can be alone," she clarifies.

"That'd be nice," I mumble.

She smiles at me and leans forward to whisper in my ear. Even over the noise, I can hear every word that she says. "Meet me in the pool house in five minutes. The side door's unlocked." I feel a shiver run through my body as I comprehend her words. Once I do, she's already gone.

I know enough about the Johnson's house to know that the side door to the pool house is _always_ unlocked. Cameron and Ryan are constantly using it for their various rendezvous. The fact that Katie knows about this worries me, but I'm too anxious to give it much thought.

After giving Katie plenty of time to get there, I head out to the pool house using the back way so as not be seen. I open the side door and enter into the laundry room. Katie's already there, perched comfortably on a muggle clothes dryer.

She opens her mouth to greet me, but she never gets the words out. Shutting the door quickly behind me, I press my lips against hers.

The kiss is just as good—no, definitely better—than the innocent one only months before. She smiles against my lips and I can tell that I'm not the only one who's been obsessing about this moment all summer.

She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer, but even that doesn't seem to be enough. I can feel my blood pounding through my body and I'm honestly surprised that the erratic beating of my heart hasn't startled her.

She kisses me fiercely, with a passion I had not expected and I return it whole-heartedly. Surely she hasn't had much practice since we first kissed months ago... But how the hell did she get to be such an amazing kisser? Her tongue slowly parts my lips and all rational thought escapes me.

I allow my hands to travel across her bare back, thankful for the access her bikini top provides me. I lower my lips first to her jaw and then to her neck, kissing any bare skin that I come across. She takes that as permission to remove my shirt and, not allowing myself to think about the consequences, I let her do it.

As her hands begin traveling across my bare chest, the disbelief sets in.

This girl, the one that I'd believed unattainable, actually wants me. I can feel her beating heart against my skin, otherwise I would probably think this was just one more fantasy.

I suddenly feel Katie sliding down from her position atop the dryer, but she never breaks the kiss. I wrap my arms around her waist once more as she slowly begins backing me towards the other side of the room. I feel my back hit a wall and relish the sensation of Katie's body so close to mine. How can a fucking forth year know how to do this?

…Oh shit!

I pull away, startled. It's only then that I realize her hand is trying to untie my bathing suit.

"What?" she asks worriedly, looking into my eyes.

And that's when the full affect of my actions hit me. As I take in her ruffled hair and swollen lips, I am ashamed.

"Katie, I'm sorry," I say, backing away from her hurriedly.

"Um…why?" she asks, a hint of laughter evident in her voice.

Because she's way too young for me to even be thinking about doing this.

"I've just…got to go…" I cry, heading out the door without another word.

"Oliver!" she says angrily, but I shut the door behind me.

Wanting to get as far away from her as possible, I head for the pool. On the way, I run into Ryan Johnson with a Firewhiskey in his hand.

"Hey, mate," he greets, obviously not aware that I really don't want to be talking to him right now. "Where've you been?"

I don't comprehend his question, but I do a double take towards the pool house quickly to make sure that Katie's not following me.

"The pool house!" he exclaims excitedly. "No you weren't!? With who?" I just push past him and keep walking. To my surprise, he doesn't pester me any further; he just keeps on his way. He's probably meeting some bird for himself.

I quickly sneak up to Ryan's room to grab another Firewhiskey before returning to the poolside. I don't see either Katie or Ryan anywhere around, so I head over to the Weasley twins.

I should be able to leave without arousing suspicion in about an hour…if I can only avoid Katie until then.

After about twenty minutes, I slip inside for another Firewhiskey. What is this—my third? Fourth?

When I walk back outside, however, I almost drop it to the ground. Where I'd been standing only minutes before, Katie now stands. Under any normal circumstance, it would ease my mind a bit to notice that she doesn't seem upset. That thought doesn't even cross my mind, however, because she's standing hand-in-hand with Ryan Johnson.

My blood boils with jealousy, but I'm not idiotic enough to go make a scene out of it. I've made my intentions perfectly clear and there's no way she's going to even look twice at me now. Instead, I sit on one of the lounge chairs just watching the "happy couple" from afar.

As the sun sets and all of the younger students begin leaving, Ryan slowly begins moving closer and closer to her side. I watch in aggravated silence as his finger loops thoughtlessly into the side of her bikini, pulling her ever closer.

I finally lose it. Realizing that I'm going to do something stupid if I stay, I walk into the house and head for the front door.

"Oi! Oliver!" I hear Fred yell as I place my hand on the doorknob. Ignoring him, I open the door. He slams it shut and I turn to him angrily.

"What do you want, Fred?" I exclaim.

"That depends. What did you do?" he demands.

"What the bloody hell are you going on about?"

"Katie and Ryan, mate. I asked Ryan what the hell he thought he was doing and all he said was 'Ask Oliver'. Now, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" I argue, but I've already begun to piece together what must have happened.

After seeing me, curiosity must have gotten the best of Ryan. If he went straight to the pool house, he would have found Katie. So now I'm not only an ass for snogging Katie, I'm also an idiot for leaving her there alone. And Lord knows what Ryan did to her when he found her.

"You must have done something," Fred says, desperately looking for anything to explain this phenomenon. It's been his life-long goal to keep people like Ryan away from Katie and now I've failed him.

"I didn't do anything—now let me go!" He releases the door and I storm out, trying to calm down enough to Disapparate.

But I never stood a chance.

I walked all the way home because I'd just let the girl of my dreams slip through my fingers—straight into the hands of another man.

**--::--::--::--**

**Next Chapter:**

The look in his eyes has changed. No longer is Ryan Johnson simply lusting after Katie—he's in love. The realization almost knocks me to the ground. Ryan, the guy who always said he wouldn't be in a relationship for longer than a few weeks, has finally decided to change his ways. With _my_ girl.

**Review, please :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**::--::--::--::**

"Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone." –C.S. Lewis

**::--::--::--::**

_Seventh Year:_

The heat of the mid-day sun beats down on the practice field and it's a direct cause of this heat that I am unable to concentrate on Quidditch. Instead, all of my attention is directed at Katie Bell. And her noticeable lack of clothing.

Angelina and Alicia started the trend of coming to practice in only their sports bras last year and I had no choice but to let them. Fred, George, and I normally shed our shirts within minutes of being in the heat. While I'm sure Angelina and Alicia are perfectly well-endowed in that area, I've never paid them more attention than your average teenage guy would. But Katie's a completely different story.

While there was always a part of me that hoped Katie might follow her friends' example and shed some clothing, the sane part of me knew that it was best if she kept her clothes on. It turns out the sane part was right.

And to make matters worse, I can't even stare as much as I would like to because Ryan is sitting in the stands watching us practice. Not that he can really see us from this high up, but it still makes me feel guilty.

After rambling for a few minutes about some new play I've devised, I dismiss the team to their places on the pitch. I hold Harry back and give him some arbitrary pointers just to feel like I'm doing something.

"Oi, Katie!" Fred yells across the pitch, obviously looking for some entertainment since I'm being so slow. Katie turns to face him, but by the guarded look on her face I can tell she's wary about what he's about to say. "What's it like shagging Ryan?" Katie just rolls her eyes and turns away from him.

"Please don't talk about my brother's sex life," Angelina begs.

"No, seriously though," Fred continues, a huge smirk plastered onto his face. "I always thought that you'd be a prude in bed, but the way Ryan talks—" Before he can finish that sentence, Katie throws the quaffle straight at his head. With reflexes I didn't know he possessed, Fred plucks the ball right out of the air. Katie groans in frustration. "Calm down, Kates. I'm only joking," Fred insists.

"Whatever," she sighs, but I can tell that she's still angry.

"The look on your face was priceless," George laughs. Katie just rolls her eyes.

"I really am sorry," Fred says. "I just love imagining you in bed, dear." The twins start laughing again.

"Ugh," Katie groans, more out of frustration than disgust; Fred's said worse to her before.

"What about you, Oliver?" Fred smirks, turning to me. "Does the thought of Katie and Ryan shagging in a broom cupboard somewhere turn you on, too?"

"I hardly think that's appropriate," I say out of reflex. And then, just as I'm sure Fred knew would happen, the image of Katie and Ryan going at it clouds all other thoughts from my mind. And it's just so easy to imagine me in his place. "Let's get back to Quidditch, please," I finally say.

The rest of practice is fairly pointless. Katie's mad at the twins but, rather than giving them the silent treatment that she's been giving me all year, she's expressing her anger in a much more vociferous way. And even though she's blinded by her anger, nearly all of her shots still get past me because I'm too preoccupied by the thought of me and her. Alone. Doing things that just a few months ago I thought she was too young for.

And her lack of clothing still isn't helping matters.

I call practice to an end early seeing as how we're getting absolutely nothing done. As the rest of the team heads into the locker rooms, I stay behind and watch instead as Katie heads over to where Ryan's waiting for her. I watch from a distance as he wraps his arms around her bare body. Katie laughs aloud at something he whispers into her ear and, not for the first time, I wish I was the one making her laugh like that.

Pretending to be picking up the Quidditch equipment, I make my way closer. They don't even look up. Although Katie's back is to me, I have a clear view of Ryan from my spot on the field.

The look in his eyes has changed since they first started dating. No longer is Ryan Johnson simply lusting after Katie—he's in love. The realization almost knocks me to the ground. Ryan, the guy who always said he wouldn't be in a relationship for longer than a few weeks, has finally decided to change his ways. With _my_ girl.

Katie gives Ryan a quick peck on the lips before disappearing into the locker rooms. Ryan heads back to the castle and I follow Katie.

When I enter the field house, the twins and Katie are the only people present. The others must already be in the showers.

"You know we were just kidding, right?" Fred asks desperately as Katie pulls her shoes off. She doesn't respond, but instead shifts her body so that her back is to him. Even from my little bit of experience with the Weasley twins, I know better than to turn my back to them. Even if I'm mad, it's better to face them head-on. Sure enough, Fred rushes forward and picks Katie up off of the bench, straight into his arms.

"Put me down!" she screams loudly.

"Sure, doll. Right after you forgive me."

"And me," George says, pulling his dirty shirt off and jamming it into his locker.

"Fine. I forgive George—now put me down!" George just laughs and grabs a towel before disappearing into the boy's showers.

"Please, Katie?" Fred asks, leaning down so that his face is too close for her to turn away or look elsewhere.

"Dammit! I'm not mad at you, Fred!" she laughs. "How could I be?"

"Very good," he smiles, dropping her to her feet.

"I'm going to take my shower," she pouts, grabbing a towel and some clothes out of her locker. As soon as she's gone, Fred turns to me and waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"What?" I groan.

"You're the Captain—you can go in there."

"I very well can not!" I argue.

"Come on! Aren't you curious? I'm sure Katie's starkers by now." I roll my eyes and ignore his protests as I move into the boy's showers and turn on the first free one.

I don't know how long I stayed in the showers—probably too long—but as I dress in clean clothes, I'm aware that all of the guys are gone.

Thankful to be alone, I make my way back into the locker room. To my surprise, I'm not alone after all. Katie's still there, digging through her locker. And to make my day even better, she's wearing nothing but blue jeans and a red bra.

At the sound of the door shutting behind me, she jumps and turns around. I try to keep my eyes trained on her face, but I just don't have enough will power. My gaze travels downward, stopping on the lacy red bra which covers just enough to rattle the imagination.

And I thought the sports bra was bad.

"I can't find my shirt," she explains unabashed, making no move to cover her chest. A part of me wonders if she just does shit like this because she knows what it does to me. "I know I put an extra one in my locker!"

It is true that Katie has a knack for forgetting a change of clothes—she's been doing it ever since she joined the team—but it no longer seems to embarrass her as it did two years ago. This year, her being half-dressed seems only natural.

I guess she grew out of her self-conscious phase. Lucky me.

"I have an extra shirt in my locker," I finally say, tearing my eyes away from her and heading over to my own locker.

"Were you just waiting for a damsel in distress who can't even keep up with her own clothes?" Katie asks.

"Well, with you on the team, I figured it was a good idea," I joke. She laughs cheerfully as I hand her the shirt.

"Thanks," she mutters as she slips it on over her head. She then looks down at the logo on the front of the shirt. "Puddlemere United? Really? They suck."

"They do not!" I defend my team. "They're just having a rough season."

"A rough season? The Chudley Cannons gave them a run for their money!"

"It's just because their Keeper sucks."

"If you say so," she says doubtfully, throwing the logo one last dubious glance. We stand there awkwardly for a few seconds. "I think I'll just go." Not knowing what to say to stop her, I let her go.

"Katie, wait!" The words are out of my mouth before I even realize I've opened it. She turns around slowly.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"Was Fred telling the truth?" I ask. "Are you shagging Ryan?"

"You didn't hear me denying it, did you?" she retorts. My mouth opens in surprise as she turns around once more. I watch in silence as this time she stops herself, pausing with her hand on the door. "Oliver?"

"Yeah?"

"I haven't slept with him." Without another word, she leaves me alone to dwell on what exactly that comment means.

**::--::--::**

_Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff_

I continue staring at the scoreboard long after the stadium has cleared. The rain hasn't stopped beating over my pounding head, but I no longer care. By the time I realize I'm freezing, I'm already soaked to the core. Finally finding the strength to move, I enter the locker room. The sudden warmth only makes me more aware of how cold I am and I immediately jump into the shower, fully clothed.

My mind slowly begins to settle into what resembles normal human thoughts and the brunt of my actions hits me. God, how incredibly pathetic is this? Could I not even find the will to undress?

I pull myself out of the shower, cursing my own stupidity. After dressing in some warm clothes, I head back to the castle. Thankfully, the rain has stopped.

I give the Fat Lady the password outside of Gryffindor Tower and she lets me in. Katie and Ryan are sitting together on the other side of the Common Room when I walk in. They don't notice me as I make my way to the stairs leading to the dormitories.

"Can't we please just go on up to bed?" I hear Ryan ask, stopping me dead in my tracks. His voice sounds more than just a little bit annoyed.

"I told you already—I'm staying here until he gets back. You're welcome to go to bed whenever you want," she retorts. Ryan just groans and they continue sitting in silence. Realizing that she's talking about me, I pause on my way across the Common Room. I might as well listen.

"Katie, please," Ryan says angrily, only a minute later. "He's obviously not coming back and this is getting ridiculous."

"Maybe you're the one getting ridiculous," she mutters. She never was very good with comebacks…

"I'm being ridiculous?" he laughs sardonically. "Because the last time I checked, I wasn't hopelessly in love with someone who obviously could care less about me."

"Who says you're not? And I am not in love with him!"

"Then why the hell are we still sitting here?"

"Am I not allowed to be worried? He _is_ my friend, you know? I'd do the same thing for Fred or George."

"Yeah, but Fred or George didn't leave you crying in my pool house this summer," he replies.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Katie says through clenched teeth.

"Well then why don't you tell me? Katie, what are we doing? I'm not going to keep dragging you along with me when you're obviously not interested."

"Ryan, I told you getting into this that I didn't want anything serious. If that's too hard for you to understand…"

"No, trust me. You've made yourself perfectly clear on that matter."

"Well, good," she says and they fall into silence once more. In some ways I take comfort in their argument, but in others it worries me. For one thing, it's plain to see that Katie isn't interested in a lasting relationship with Ryan, but it's also obvious that I'm the one who's turned her off of relationships. And I really don't want that hanging over my head for the rest of my life. Although if that does mean she won't be dating anyone…

No. That just means she'll be dating a bunch of random guys who only want her for sex. And that's not what I want either. Although I never meant to hurt her, I take some perverse pleasure in the fact that she obviously still has feelings for me.

"Dammit, Katie! I'm going to bed," Ryan finally snaps, hopping up from the couch. "Please go with me."

"No, Ryan," she says fiercely. "I'm just going to go see if I can find—" She cuts off as she turns to find me standing right there. Our eyes meet for one endless second, but the harsh expression in her eyes doesn't soften.

"I changed my mind, Ryan," she finally says. "I'm ready to go to bed."

And with me standing there watching her, she slips up the stairs and into the sixth year boys' dorm. Ryan stays only long enough to glare at me before following her.

**::--::--::**

I walk down to the Great Hall a little over a month later and take my usual seat at the end of the Gryffindor table with some of the other seventh year boys. They're talking about their plans for Hogsmeade this weekend and, of course, the subject of girls comes up. Maybe I should try to find a date…

I mean, there's nothing I can do until Katie breaks up with Ryan.

I suddenly hear my name shouted across the Great Hall and when I look towards the door, I'm rather unsurprised that the interruption came from Fred Weasley. My friends laugh, but I honestly don't care that much. Fred and George have embarrassed me much worse.

George finally sees me and points me out to Fred. They make their way over eagerly.

"So, guess what?" Fred asks, taking the empty seat next to me.

"I have no clue," I answer, very aware that all of my friends are listening.

"Guess!"

"Fred, come on, mate," George says. "Don't make him guess."

"Katie's single again," Fred informs me happily. "She broke up with Ryan last night."

"What? Why?" I ask, saying the first two words that pop into my head. Well actually, holy and shit were the first two.

"Who cares," George laughs. Although I'm happy about the news—overjoyed really—I don't know why they're telling me this.

"Well, okay. Thanks for letting me know," I say, trying to turn back to my friends without seeming rude.

"Oh come on, Oliver. You know you like her," Fred says, nudging me in the ribs.

"I do not!" I reply automatically, but I feel my face heat up nonetheless.

"Sure you do. I've seen the way you look at her."

"Fred!" I cry angrily.

"Fine, you don't like her," he laughs. "I guess _I'll_ just ask her to Hogsmeade, then. Laters." He gives me a cheerful wave before walking off, George following after him. Fred wouldn't actually ask Katie out, would he?

"Is that the blonde fourth year on the Quidditch team?" My friend Liam asks me. I just nod, refusing to make eye contact. "She's quite hot, isn't she?" The sound of another guy talking about her so flippantly makes me insanely mad.

"Don't say that," I demand. "And stay away form her." Without waiting for a reply, I get up from the table without eating anything.

"You really do fancy her," he laughs. I ignore him and keep walking.

::--::--::

Quidditch practice was…intense. The concentration level was low, even for us. Fred and George spent the whole practice giving me pointed glances, obviously trying to get me to talk to Katie. I refuse to embarrass myself, however, and for the most part manage to ignore them. Angelina, caught between Katie and her brother, is also unusually quiet and I want more than anything to just call the practice off early. Knowing that that wouldn't be good for team morale, I keep them there for the full two hours but the result is a practice that's neither productive nor enjoyable.

Katie, who seems to be in rather high spirits considering, leaps off of her broom at the end of practice and immediately begins conversing with Alicia about their plans for Hogsmeade.

"So, how about it?" Fred asks, coming up behind me. "Are you going to ask her or not?"

"Ask her what?" Although I know perfectly well what he's talking about, I'm choosing to feign idiocy.

"Are you going to ask Katie to Hogsmeade or not?"

"I told you already—no! She just broke up with Ryan. Why would you even think she'd move on so quickly?"

"Because she would," George replies.

"I'm not kidding, mate," Fred adds. "If you don't ask her, I'm going to."

"Yeah right," I say without thinking, and suddenly I've made it a challenge. Fred gives me one last smirk before sauntering over to where Katie and Alicia are standing. In disbelief I follow him. He wouldn't…

"Hey, Katie," Fred says, throwing his arm around her shoulders casually. What am I saying? Of course he would!

"Hi, Fred," she laughs.

"So, I've got a proposition for you."

"Proposition away," she replies with a flirtatious smile.

"Well, since you're newly single and all, I was wondering if—"

"—if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me," I interrupt quickly. The girls both stare at me in shock, but Fred just smirks. Damn. I bet he planned this. Katie's eyes meet mine in surprise. "As friends," I clarify before I can stop myself.

"Um…yeah, I guess that would be fine," she answers, her face softening into a smile that I haven't seen since this summer.

"Okay…um, well…good." She just smirks at me once more before grabbing Alicia's arm and pulling her into the locker room.

"You planned that!" I accuse, turning to Fred wildly.

"And you've got a date!" Fred laughs.

"But just as friends," George smirks.

"And it's with the girl of your dream, too. I wouldn't be complaining if I were you, Captain."

And the honest truth is that I've got nothing to complain about. This is what I've wanted, more than anything, for months. The only problem is that I also haven't had a conversation with Katie in months. That may make this just a bit awkward.

But I never stood a chance.

Because even if Fred hadn't asked her, someone else was bound to do it before Saturday. And I was not about to let some randy teenage boy get his hands on my girl. Not again.

--::--::--::--

**Seventh Year to be continued in the next chapter. Review, please :) As a Christmas present, maybe?**


	5. Chapter 5

**::--::--::--::**

"Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." - Mark Twain

**::--::--::--::**

_Seventh Year, Part II:_

I sit in the common room on Saturday morning waiting for Katie to walk down the steps from the girl's dormitories. My stomach has already tied itself into knots and even though I've tried every spell I can think of to alleviate nerves, nothing's working. Of course, I've never been all that good at Charms.

While I'm waiting, I pull my Quidditch playbook from my pocket and try to work out some strategies. If we're going to win the cup, I'm going to have to work harder to come up with unique plays. The task distracts me a bit from worrying about my date.

I'm going to kill Fred Weasley. Who gave him the right to play matchmaker?

I turn when I hear someone coming down the steps, but it's only Ryan Johnson. His arm is around some blonde girl, but that doesn't stop him from glaring at me. That's the extent of our confrontation, however, and he walks straight out of the portrait hole heading towards Hogsmeade. I was so distracted by his presence that when Angelina takes the seat next to me on the couch, I jump.

"Sorry," she laughs.

"No, it's fine," I say, placing my playbook back in my pocket. "So, your brother hates me, apparently." She neither confirms nor denies that statement, but the look on her face leaves no doubt in my mind that my relationship with Ryan is going to be rather difficult from now on.

"If it helps at all, I don't think it's your fault he hates you. I think it's Katie's," she says.

"Yeah, well I'm pretty sure that he's not going to take that into consideration when he decides to challenge me to a duel."

"Ryan's more likely to use his fists to solve problems than his wand," Angelina corrects unhelpfully.

"Great," I mutter.

"Oliver?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Don't break her heart again, please. Because I can't just sit back and watch her attach herself to someone else like my brother. It doesn't suit her."

"So you know about what happened between me and Katie this summer?" I ask, although I'd expected as much.

"Yeah. And while I can see the reasoning behind your rejection, she can't. And she's also not a little girl anymore, Oliver. Remember that." Before I can reply, I hear someone approaching us. I turn to find Katie, wearing jeans and a Holyhead Harpies shirt, walking our way.

"Hey," she says, looking between the two of us. I can tell that she's almost as nervous as I am, but her voice is steady nonetheless.

"Hey," Angelina replies with a laugh when I don't say anything.

"Hey," I add. Katie just smiles at my slight hesitation. She looks beautiful. I think about telling her that, but then remember we're supposed to be going to Hogsmeade only as friends.

"Well, then," Angelina says, getting up from her seat. "I'll see you two later. Fred, George, Alicia, and I are meeting at the Three Broomsticks around three is you want to join us."

"Okay, yeah," Katie says, never taking her eyes off of me. "We might be there." Angelina just nods and exits the common room through the portrait hole, leaving Katie and I alone.

"Hi," I repeat when she doesn't say anything.

"Hi," she says, smiling slightly.

"How's school?" I ask, fishing for a topic.

"School's hard," she answers simply.

"Yeah, school is hard."

"Oliver, I can't act as if nothing happened between us, so why don't we stop pretending? I think we need to talk." Her bluntness surprises me, but then again my guess would be that she's planned those words for a few months now. Not that she didn't have every right to…

"Yeah, we need to talk," I agree whole-heartedly. "But not here."

"There's no better place," she argues. "It's impossible to get any privacy in this school."

"Well, the Astronomy Tower is normally empty at this time on a Saturday morning," I joke.

"Do you know that from experience?" she smirks.

"Sadly, no. The Quidditch pitch is empty, too. I was going to schedule practice today, but I figured the team would mutiny me."

"Um, definitely," she says. "I wouldn't show up for practice on a Hogsmeade weekend if you paid me."

"And here I was thinking that you actually enjoyed Quidditch," I joke, getting up from my seat and making my way out the portrait hole.

"Yeah well, too much of a good thing, you know?" We walk in silence across the grounds. I try to come up with something to say, but the look on her face makes it obvious that small talk is not what she needs right now.

"I'm sorry, Katie," I say, voicing the first thing that comes to mind. She stops walking and just stares at me, as if trying to determine whether I'm lying to her. Rather than reply, she continues walking and I fall into step next to her.

"What are you sorry for?" she asks once she's standing in the dead center of the Quidditch pitch. Her question is a test. She knows what I'm sorry for, she just wants to hear me say it.

"I'm sorry for being an arse," I say, turning to face her. She refuses to meet my eyes, so I turn her face to mine. She still refuses to make eye contact, but I keep talking anyway. "What I did at that party was wrong. I never should have kissed you—"

"So you admit it!" she says angrily, meeting my eyes for the first time. "Kissing me was a mistake."

"You didn't let me finish," I continue calmly. "I never should have kissed you and then left like I did. I was confused, Katie. You confuse the hell out of me!"

"Why _did_ you leave?" she asks softly.

"You're three years younger than me. I…I just couldn't reconcile your age and what we were doing. But I wasn't using you, Katie. I did have feelings for you. "

"Did?" she asks. I stare into her eyes and know that I couldn't lie to her even if I wanted to.

"I still do," I admit. She just nods her head in understanding, but the somber look on her face doesn't disappear. Instead, she sinks to the ground and sits cross legged on the damp grass. I debate whether to join her, but I remain standing. I'm not sure she's going to let me stay much longer anyway. "What about you and Ryan?" I can't help but ask.

"What about us?" she asks.

"Well, one minute you're snogging me and the next you're snogging Ryan. I know that what I did was bad, but I still didn't expect you to move on that quickly."

"He was there. He liked me," she shrugs. "It's as simple as that."

"And did you like him?" I ask, taking a seat on the ground next to her. She doesn't shy away from my presence, but simply shrugs once more.

"I don't know, really. He was nice, just wasn't exactly what I was looking for."

"And what were you looking for?"

"The guy who left me in the pool house," she says bluntly. I lower my head in shame. Why would she even agree to go to Hogsmeade with me today when I've obviously hurt her? Looking over at Katie, I find that she looks more fragile than I ever noticed before. She looks breakable. And I can't help but feel like I'm the one who broke her.

"I'm sorry," I say again.

"I know you are," she says, turning to look at me also. "And I'm sorry too."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I insist. The last thing I want is to make her feel guilty, because I'm the one who has caused this problem.

"I do, though. I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain yourself earlier. I've just been so blinded by anger. I didn't know it was possible to hate someone as much as I've hated you these past few months," she says.

"I'm sorry," I repeat. She stands up and I do the same, watching as she brushes the grass off of the seat of her jeans.

"You're apology is accepted, Oliver. And I want to be friends."

"Friends sounds perfect," I reply, although that's not the complete truth. Yes, being friends is better than I'd even hoped for, but it's not all I want. There's nothing I can do about it now, though. She knows how I feel and if she ever learns to trust me again, she'll have to be the one to make the first move.

"You know, I'm really not in the mood for Hogsmeade today," she says, staring up at the clear blue sky.

"Oh, that's fine," I say, slightly disappointed. "You can go back to the castle. I'll just—"

"You want to play some Quidditch?" she asks, looking at me with a smile.

"I thought I couldn't pay you to practice on a Hogsmeade weekend."

"It's not practice. It's just me kicking your ass."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," I say. But I know Katie's skill and I know that she will, in fact, kick my ass.

Two hours later, we both collapse to the ground after the most entertaining Quidditch game I've ever played, laughing hysterically. And even though I didn't step foot into town, I have to say that this was, by far, the best Hogsmeade weekend I've ever had.

**::--::--::--::**

_After the Quidditch Final_

The common room is so crowded that you can barely move and the yelling makes it impossible to hear what even the person next to you is saying, but I have never felt happier in my entire life. The Quidditch Cup is proudly being displayed on the refreshment table and even through the crowd, I can still see it clearly.

"Stop staring, it's rude," a voice says, coming up behind me. I turn to see Katie, holding two Firewhiskeys in her hands. I relieve her of one as she takes a seat next to me.

"She's just so beautiful," I mutter, still staring at the Cup.

"You're pathetic," she laughs. I throw my arm around her shoulder casually, enjoying the feel of her skin against mine. These past few months, our relationship has…changed. We did the friend thing, but somewhere down the line our friendship morphed a little bit. Now, she's stuck somewhere between a friend and a girlfriend and I'm not exactly sure either of us really understand what we are to each other.

We're rarely out of each others company, and yet we haven't kissed since the incident at Angelina's pool house this summer. Sometimes when we're walking back to the castle from the Quidditch pitch, she'll take my hand in hers. Other times, she'll stay up with me in the common room late into the night as I finish up essays for various classes. If it weren't for the small fact that we aren't doing anything sexual, it would seem like she was my girlfriend. In fact, most of the school assumes she is.

"I'm not pathetic," I argue after a while. "It's just been six years since Gryffindor's gotten their name on that cup. It's exciting."

"What?" she asks, not able to hear me over the noise.

"I said—"

"Oliver, I can't hear you!" she yells back. I roll my eyes, but she simply takes me by the hand and leads me towards the portrait hole.

"Where are we going?" I ask her.

"What?" She laughs at the frustrated look on my face and I know that that time she was just kidding. She pulls me out into the corridor and shuts the portrait hole behind me. I welcome the silence that follows.

"Well, this is much better," I comment.

"So, where are we going?" she asks, making her way down the hallway.

"Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that? You're the one that dragged me out here."

"The extent of my planning ended when we stepped out of the common room," she says with a broad grin.

"Of course it did. You never think things all of the way through, do you?"

"Never ever," she agrees, smiling up at me.

"It's past curfew, you know?" I say as we wander aimlessly.

"McGonagall wouldn't punish us after that game and the Head boy is currently snogging his girlfriend in the common room. I think we're safe," she says, taking my hand in hers. She doesn't seem to think anything of such a casual touch anymore, but her hand in mine still causes my heart to skip a beat. She can't be so blind as to not see how much I care for her.

"Well in that case, I know where we can go," I say, leading her through the castle.

"And where would that be?" she asks. I just smirk at her.

I'm sure she guessed where I was heading before I was even halfway there, but she said nothing. Only when we were climbing the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, did she choose to comment.

"Now, Oliver, what would people say if they caught us up here?"

"Probably whatever they've been saying behind our backs for months."

"Very true," she laughs. "You do know that the Astronomy Tower probably _isn't_ empty, right?"

I just shrug and open the door, letting the fresh evening air immediately wash over me. We walk around the perimeter of the tower before ascertaining that it is empty. I lock the door with a spell so that we won't be disturbed and walk over to where Katie's leaning against the railing. I stand behind her, staring off at the grounds.

"I can't believe that this year is almost over," she whispers.

"We've still got two months," I say. She turns around so that her back is pressed against the cold stone, and stares up at me.

"And then you're gone. Forever." Even though I know her words are true, I find it hard to accept them. Hogwarts has been a part of my life for so long—I'm not ready to join the real world. I walk forward so that my arms are resting on the railing on either side of her, bringing us closer physically than I've let her get for months.

"I'll never leave you, Katie," I whisper. She brings her hand up to cup my face in her hand and I lean into her touch. "Not again."

I stare into her eyes and I see myself echoed in her gaze. I know that my eyes must be as full of love as hers. And even though I promised myself she would have to make the first move, I lean down and kiss her. Our lips meld together softly and it's even more perfect than before. Because this time I want this with all of my heart. And I'll do anything to make sure that it works.

I was in love, and I never stood a chance otherwise.

From the day I first met Katie Bell, I knew it was all coming down to this. There was no reason for me to resist fate for so long, because I'm in love with the most amazing girl and neither time nor distance is going to be able to tear us apart.

Not if I can help it, anyway.

**::--::--::--::**

**Next Chapter: Katie's Yule Ball.**

**Review, please :) And sorry it took so long.**


	6. Chapter 6

**::--::--::--::**

"When you are in Love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams." –Dr. Seuss

**::--::--::--::**

_Yule Ball_

I stand in the Entrance Hall, leaning against the wall and bouncing slightly from foot to foot in nervousness. I look around at my surroundings in order to have something to do and, although I only graduated a few months ago, I find myself uncomfortable in the place that I used to call home. There are kids running around that I don't recognize—although I do realize that there are two extra schools here—and even some of the teachers look unfamiliar. Things have changed.

I see a few old friends who haven't graduated (and Percy Weasley oddly enough), but I don't pay much attention to our brief exchange of pleasantries. Because the person I'm here to see has yet to grace me with her presence.

Katie Bell, as always, operates on her own time.

I should have just gone up to wait in the Gryffindor Common Room—I'd be more comfortable there. I pull up the sleeves of my navy blue dress robes to check the time impatiently.

"Come on, Katie," I mutter to myself. The fact that I look like a complete idiot standing here alone doesn't even bother me. What bothers me is the fact that I haven't seen Katie's face or heard Katie's voice since I dropped her off at Platform 9 ¾ on September 1st. And I don't want to wait any longer.

We were practically inseparable over the summer, spending all of our free time in each other's company. But even the endless hours of talking late into the night did nothing to ease the pain of letting her go. I've had a dull ache in my heart since she left (not that I'd admit it to anyone), but I wouldn't trade a single second of the time I've spent with her for all of the galleons in the world.

When she went back to school, I did worry that the distance would cause a riff in our relationship. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? That, however, was not the case. There's barely a minute of my day that I don't spend thinking of her. Or Quidditch, but it's one of the two. Playing for Puddlemere keeps me pretty busy. In fact, I'm not even sure I've looked at a female since September. It's just the guys on the team and me.

I worry about her sometimes, though. It's not that I don't trust her; I just don't trust the general male population at Hogwarts. Of course, that's not all that surprising considering the fact that Fred and George are the two males I'm closest to at Hogwarts at the moment. And Fred's never kept it a secret that he'd be willing to sleep with Katie if she let him. Not that she would. She won't even let _me_ do that.

I close my eyes as I lean back against the wall. Katie has turned me into the most impatient person on the planet.

Katie…

How does she have this affect on me? I went seventeen years without feeling this way, so why now? She's all I ever think about, all I ever dream about.

I was naïve enough to think that our age difference was a problem while we were at school, but now I realize that the problem didn't kick in until I graduated. Now I have to suffer through two and a half more years of this terminal separation.

That can't be healthy.

"OLLIE!" I hear two identical voices yell, startling me from my thoughts. My eyes snap open just as Fred and George nearly knock me to the ground in a bone-crushing hug. I try to return their greeting, but am unable to draw a breath. Instead, I look behind their heads, but it's only to find that Katie is not with them.

"Wondering where your bird is?" George asks with a smirk, pulling away from me.

"Yeah, kinda," I reply, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

"She's coming down in a minute," Fred says. "Just be patient. I think Ange is doing her hair—"

"—or teaching her a contraception charm," George adds.

"Something of that nature," Fred finishes.

"Shut it," I hiss, knowing full well that if they get on the topic of girls or sex, they're not going to be able to get off of it. They just collapse into a fit of laughter and I can't help but wonder if they've already had a Firewhiskey or two tonight. "Who are you two going to this thing with, anyway?"

"Ange," Fred says.

"Licia," George says.

"You two are dating Angelina and Alicia?" I ask doubtfully.

"Hell no," Fred laughs. "Do you really think Angelina would date me? We're just sleeping together. George is the one tied down."

"It's better than you think," George defends himself.

"And you're whipped," Fred argues.

"He is not. Are you, honey?" Alicia asks, walking down the steps with Angelina following close behind her. I pay very little attention to them, however, and instead watch for who I'm sure is going to come down the steps after them. She doesn't.

"Where the hell is Katie?" I ask the girls.

"Oh, don't worry, she's coming," Angelina answers. "Leanne stopped her about two floors up. She said she'd be down in a minute." I stop paying attention as she starts talking to Fred, and instead keep a close eye on the stairs.

I'm just about to go looking for Katie, when suddenly there she is. She descends the steps like an angel and the only thing my mind can focus on is her blonde curls and her emerald green dress robes that match her eyes perfectly. I'm speechless—simply and utterly speechless—because she's even more beautiful than I remembered her to be.

"Isn't she just gorgeous?" Angelina squeals, following my gaze to find Katie standing there. Katie's eyes meet mine and I feel my face break into a broad grin.

To my surprise, the first thing I want to say is "I love you", but I quickly stop the words from leaving my mouth. I do love her, but I've never told her so. It just hasn't felt like the right time. Plus, I didn't fully realize it until she left and that just isn't the type of thing you write in a letter.

"Wow, Kates, you look amazing," I say instead. Without hesitation, she runs down the stairs two at a time, tripping over the last step slightly and falling straight into my waiting arms.

"Oliver," she whispers into my ear and in that one word alone, I can feel all of her joy upon seeing me again but also the bitter-sweetness that is our inevitable parting. I hold her tight, breathing deeply to memorize her scent. Our brief contact makes me wish more than anything that we could just skip the dance and take a long walk on the grounds, but I don't think that idea would fly very well with her. Maybe we _can_ leave a bit early, though.

I don't know how long we stayed wrapped in each others arms, saying nothing, but when I finally pull away I notice that everyone else has gone. I smile up at her and before I can say another word, she stands up on her tiptoes and kisses me passionately.

Her lips feel better against mine after all of the time apart, but the feelings that suddenly come rushing through my body are almost uncontrollable. I'm not naïve enough to think that tonight will be different—that after all of the time apart she will be ready to take our relationship to the next level—but if she continues kissing me like this for much longer, I'm going to be uncomfortable all night and I really don't want that to happen.

As much as I hate to do so, I pull back and break the kiss.

"Wow," she sighs.

"Wow," I agree, leaning down once more and placing a gentle peck on her lips.

"We can do that again before you leave, right?" she asks dreamily.

"Whatever you want," I laugh. She smiles up at me and takes me by the hand, leading me into the Great Hall where food is already being served. I take in the multitude of unknown faces with curiosity and quickly find Viktor Krum at the Champion's table. I'd heard he was here… I've got to get that guy's autograph.

We take a seat at the table that Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia are currently occupying. I order the first thing on the menu that looks good and watch as it appears in front of me. Katie and I alternate telling about our lives without each other and I'm halfway through a story about my latest practice at Puddlemere when the Weird Sisters take the stage.

The music makes talking a bit of an obstacle, but we continue anyway.

"So you like it, then?" she asks over the music. "Puddlemere, I mean. It suits you?"

"Very much so. I don't think I could be happier anywhere else."

"Well, I'm glad," she says, taking my hand in hers. "You want to dance?"

Although I don't want to and she knows it, I let her lead me onto the now crowded dance floor. I hate dancing. Honestly, I've never seen much point in it. It doesn't help that the extent of my dancing skills have only been put into practice at charity events that my father deems it necessary I attend. And quite frankly, I've never enjoyed it much. I always end up dancing with my dad's boss's daughter…Myrna or something. And she's the kind of girl that makes you wonder how you could have ever thought sex was a good thing.

Now that takes talent (or just a ridiculously horrible complexion).

Katie laughs at my reluctant expression as she places my hand on her waist. She in turn puts her hand around my shoulder and I take her other hand in mine as we start to gently sway to the music. It's really not a slow song but nor is it a fast one, so I don't feel too uncomfortable just letting her rest in my arms. I'm not coordinated enough for anything else and, in all honesty, I just need to feel her body against mine.

I notice out of the corner of my eye that Fred and Angelina are parting the crowds with their bizarre dance moves, but I leave them to it. Even if_ I_ think he's crazy, the female population at Hogwarts doesn't seem to agree. If his crazy dance moves work for him, then who am I to ruin his fun?

A slow song finally comes on and Katie rests her head on my chest as the music plays. It suddenly strikes me that we haven't said much to each other tonight. I wonder about that for a few seconds, but am distracted once more by the impassioned feelings I have for this girl. How am I ever supposed to leave Hogwarts tonight when I know that I'm leaving her behind as well? And that I won't see her again until June? How am I supposed to live like this?

And suddenly I know why I haven't said much to her. I'm scared. Katie always _has_ had a way of making emotions I've rarely experienced before come to pass. But I'm scared—so scared—of losing her. A once-over of the room confirms suspicions I've had about guys being interested in her. I see a lot of them watching us, Ryan Johnson among them, and I can't help but wonder. If one of them made a move, would she turn them down? And with me not around, how am I supposed to keep them away?

"Oliver, what's wrong?" she asks suddenly, lifting her head up and looking me in the eyes.

"Nothing, dear, I'm fine," I answer.

"No, you're not. Your heart is racing." Damn body. My hands begin to get clammy and the barrage of people around us suddenly makes me feel claustrophobic. All I want to do is get out of here.

"Can we…?" I ask, never really finishing my sentence but she catches my meaning nonetheless. She takes my hand into hers and leads me through the people and out into the courtyard.

I immediately take a breath of fresh air to clear my head and I begin to feel better. Looking around, I spot several couples who have snuck out of the castle for some privacy. And let me just tell you that the sight of Roger Davies snogging whoever the hell he's with definitely isn't helping my libido right about now. Katie looks at me with a smirk and I just roll my eyes as we begin wandering down the pathway to find a secluded spot.

We finally come across a stone bench far enough away from the noise of the castle and we sit in silence. I look over at Katie after a few minutes and notice her staring at the stars.

"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" she asks suddenly.

"Of course I do," I answer, remembering that night clearly. "How could I forget? I still get cold thinking about it." She looks at me, trying to seem stern but holding back a smile.

"It was a good kiss," she defends.

"It _was_ a good kiss, but that doesn't change the fact that it was nearing ten degrees out there."

"It wasn't _that_ cold!" she laughs.

"Not for you—you had my jacket." She smiles up at me. Merlin, I've missed that smile. "Why do you bring it up?"

"I don't know," she shrugs. "It's just the stars, I guess. They're the same stars that were there that night. Every time I look up at them, I think about that kiss." I don't know what to say to that, so I just pull her closer to me and let her snuggle against my chest.

"Are you cold?" I ask after a few minutes.

"A little," she admits. "But I'm fine. I don't want to go back inside." I just draw her closer to me since I don't have anything else to make her warmer. "Oliver?" she asks a few minutes later.

"Hm?"

"If you're going to break up with me, will you just go ahead and do it?" Her question startles me. She says it so calmly, as if the meaning of the words escapes her.

"Katie, what are you talking about?" I ask, pushing her off of me so that I can see her face.

"Oliver, I'm not stupid, okay?" she says defensively, never making eye contact. "You've been distant all night. And it's not like I'm ever around."

"Katie—"

"No, don't worry about it. You really don't even have to explain yourself. Fred's been telling me things. He says that no matter how much you care about me, it'll never work because guys have urges or something like that. I get the general gist of it anyway. You want a girl that you can be with every night—or at least see on a daily basis."

"Katie—"

"And quite frankly, I'm sorry I've kept you tied down for so long. I'm just selfish like that, I guess. But I promise I won't be the crazy ex-girlfriend, you know? I've had time to think this over and I realize that it's really not your fault. This just wasn't meant to be." She finally stops talking and looks at me expectantly.

"Can I talk now?" I ask. She nods. "Okay, I'm going to kill Fred Weasley."

"What?" she asks confused.

"He had no right to place ideas like that in your head. Katie, I'm not going to break up with you. I love you." Her mouth opens slightly in surprise. I can imagine her shock. She came out here tonight expecting me to break up with her and instead, I'm doing the very opposite.

"You love me?"

"Well, that's not exactly the response I was hoping for." She shakes her head to clear her thoughts.

"I love you, too," she says suddenly, much louder than I expected. Some birds fly out of a nearby bush to get away from the noise. I laugh lightly to myself as I pull her into a soft kiss.

"You over-think things. Did you know that, honey?" I say.

"I'm starting to realize it," she mumbles into my shoulder.

"And never listen to anything Fred says. Please?"

"Deal," she laughs, standing up and taking my hand in hers.

"Do we really have to go back in there?" I groan.

"No," she sighs. "But I do want to dance." The faint sound of music reaches my ears and I find that I have more confidence than I had before. I slowly take her hand and spin her around in time to the music. She laughs and wraps her arms tightly around my neck.

"I love you, Oliver," she whispers.

"I love you, too," I say, savoring the taste of the words on my mouth. I try to ignore the unfamiliar feelings welling up inside of me—the feelings that are telling me that Katie is more to me than just an average girlfriend.

But I never stood a chance.

Because I know that there is no way I would ever want out of a relationship with the one girl who actually makes me want to dance under the stars. I'm head-over-heels in love with her. And I'm scared to death.

**::--::--::--::**

**Sorry for the long wait, I really am :( Hope this chapter was satisfactory because the next one's not going to be as happy-go-lucky. **

**Reviews make the world go round!**


	7. Chapter 7

**::--::--::--::**

"Love is never wanting to lose faith, never wanting to give up, and never truly moving on. Love is knowing and praying in the deepest part of what's left of your heart that they feel the same." –Anonymous

**::--::--::--::**

I walk up to the castle slowly, trying not to attract any unwanted attention. Katie's letters have recently been filled with horror stories of a new Professor and the last thing I want to do is get either myself or Katie in trouble with Umbridge. _The Daily Prophet_ spends most of its time now days worshipping the lady and that's a pretty good sign that she's not someone I'd get along with.

The cover of darkness hides me pretty well, but I can't help but feel like I'm being watched. This is ridiculous! I have permission to be here.

It's Katie's seventeenth birthday today and I asked off of practice so that I could surprise her. Dumbledore was enamored by my request for Katie's company and he even gave me permission to take her to Hogsmeade. After all, it's not everyday that a witch comes of age.

My heart's beating rapidly as I push open the double doors to the entrance hall and begin making my way to Gryffindor Tower. Merlin, I really don't think I've ever been this nervous in my entire life. And the sad thing is that I don't know why I'm reacting this way.

It's only been a month since I've seen her—which is a short amount of time compared to the months I spent separated from her last semester. But in that month of not seeing her, I've felt a ever growing distance come between us. It was bound to happen eventually. I mean, when you don't see someone for months at a time it becomes a bit hard to find common bonds to talk about.

Don't get me wrong—I still love her—but there's a part of me that thinks it's time for a break. At least until we can get back to the same place in our lives once more. Her last letter insinuated as much, but she never came straight out and said it.

I kind of wish she would, actually. It would save me the trouble of having to voice our problems aloud. I hate being the guy sometimes.

I just don't know what to do, honestly. And I definitely don't want to break up with her on her birthday. Maybe tonight will be what we need to light the fire in us again. Fingers crossed, right?

I realize an error in my planning when I arrive at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asks majestically. I stare at her for a few seconds in amazement. How could I have been so stupid?

"Damn," I mutter, more to myself than to her. "Can't you just let me in? You must remember me! Oliver Wood? I was Quidditch Captain two years ago."

"No password, no entry," she says simply. Great. I scan the corridor desperately, but find no one. I debate whether to go looking for a Gryffindor, but the decision is ultimately unnecessary because at that moment Angelina rounds the corner.

"Ange!" I cry ecstatically. Upon hearing my voice she jumps nearly a foot in the air—no lie. I've never seen someone look so scared in my entire life. "Sorry; didn't mean to scare you there."

"No, it's fine," she says, the look of horror never leaving her face. Seeming to realize that fact, she looks up and smiles at me. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to surprise Katie for her birthday. Do you know where she is?"

"No," she answers, "sure don't. So, she doesn't know you're coming?"

"No. I wanted to surprise her," I repeat.

"Well, I have no idea where she is, so do you maybe want to help _me_ with something instead?" I look at her as if she's grown two heads.

"Actually, I'd really like to find Katie."

"But I need some help coming up with Quidditch plays. I was planning on owling you, but this is just too perfect!"

"Angelina, I really—"

"Please, Oliver," she begs and I can't help but take pity on her. Being Captain is hard, especially your first year. I simply shrug my shoulders and let her pull me towards the library. Maybe Katie will be in there…

Who am I kidding? What person in their right mind would spend a Saturday night at the library? Especially on their birthday? I scan the faces of some of the students as I listen to Angelina summing up the new team. Apparently, Ron Weasley took my spot as Keeper… That's an interesting development.

"Angelina, I really don't think I have time for this," I insist after about a half hour. In all honesty, I lost track of the time. Talking about Quidditch helps calm my nerves. "Can we go back to the common room? Maybe someone will know where Katie is." She looks up at me from her notes.

"I guess we could do that…if you want to," she says slowly, standing up from her seat. "But I'm warning you, she may not be there. I think I heard her and Fred talking about going to Hogsmeade to celebrate her coming of age tonight."

"Just her and Fred?" I ask, stopping dead in my tracks. Angelina keeps walking as if she hasn't noticed my worry.

"I think so…" she says. "I may be wrong though." I hurry to catch up with her.

"Have they been hanging out a lot lately?" I ask.

"I don't know," she muses. "Maybe. I haven't been paying much attention."

"Angelina, you've never been a good liar," I say fiercely, grabbing her by the arm and turning her to face me. "What's going on between Katie and Fred."

"I don't know, Oliver," she says, looking into my eyes sadly. "She doesn't tell me anything anymore. But you must know that she'd never do anything to hurt you."

I release her and storm off towards Gryffindor Tower. She follows me, but she also knows me well enough not to comment. How could I have been so stupid? All of the warning signs were there! I spent four years at school with them and then just assumed that my friendship with Fred would keep him away from Katie. I should have known that he was the last person I ever should have trusted.

Angelina gives the Fat Lady the password when we arrive at the portrait hole and I walk in, searching desperately for Katie. She's not in the common room.

Surprise, surprise.

Maybe I'm making too much out of this. Maybe I _am_ wrong. I tend to jump to conclusions quickly—especially when Katie's involved.

I spot Alicia, George, and Lee Jordan on the couch and I make my way over. They look shocked to see me, but I can read their reactions better than I read Angelina's. They don't want me here because they don't want me to figure out what my girlfriend is up to.

"Oliver, what are you doing here?" George asks, not bothering to cover the panic on his face.

"Where's Katie?" I ask without bothering with pleasantries. Alicia and George exchange a glance before answering.

"The Three Broomsticks, I think," Alicia finally answers.

"Do you know when she's going to be back?"

"She said around midnight," Alicia replies, as if that would make me feel any better. At her words, George cringes.

"What?" I ask harshly.

"Well…if Fred has his way, I don't think that they're going to be back by midnight." Lee punches him in the arm and I turn away from the two, rubbing my eyes in frustration.

"It's just two friends out for a drink, Oliver," Alicia says. "That's what Katie told me."

"Yeah, mate," George adds. "If it makes you feel any better, Fred's constantly complaining because Katie refuses to shag him until you two break up."

"Oh yeah, that makes me feel loads better," I say. "And none of you felt it necessary to tell me my girlfriend's cheating on me?"

"Well, she's not!" Angelina intones.

"Yet," George adds softly. What was I expecting? They all like her better than me anyways. I shake my head slowly in confusion.

How could I have let this happen? Is it something I did? Or is it just that she likes Fred more? I don't think I could live with myself if she prefers Fred Weasley. It would be demoralizing!

"Well, I guess I'll just wait here until she gets back, then," I say finally. They all stare at me as if I've gone mad.

"Are you sure you don't want to just go home and come back later?" Angelina asks. "We could tell Katie that you stopped by."

"No thank you. I'd actually like to see her face when she realizes I've caught her."

"Oliver, I really don't think that you understand," Alicia insists. "Katie loves you! Fred's just a friend."

"Yeah, a friend that all of you seem convinced she's ready to jump into bed with."

"We didn't say that!" George defends himself. "We said that _he_ was ready to jump into bed with _her_. She'd have to be pretty drunk to follow suit." They continue trying to console me for nearly an hour, but I'm not about to move. I honestly want to see what Katie's going to say to defend herself. No matter what, this is going to be over one way or the other before I leave tonight.

Maybe she really hasn't done anything with him, but her best friends aren't very comforting. My old teammates and Lee keep me company until around one in the morning, but then they slowly begin to trickle up to bed. I highly doubt that they want to be here when the bomb drops.

The common room is completely empty by the time Katie and Fred stumble in around three.

I watch in silence as Katie stumbles over the threshold, laughing loudly. Fred helps her through, but doesn't seem very well composed himself. They're both drunk as hell and, quite frankly, I don't care anymore. They take no notice of me, but I continue to watch as Fred pushes her up against the wall and kisses her. The frightening thing is that she kisses him back. I watch their drunken kiss, captivated, for several seconds.

"Hello," I greet. The two spring apart and upon seeing me, Katie begins laughing again. Merlin, I've never seen her this drunk. Fred, however, seems adequately scared and that's enough to tell me that he's not nearly as drunk as he should be. In fact, I'm willing to bet that he's more sober than not. That filthy bastard. "You proud of yourself?" I ask him.

He doesn't respond, just looks me up and down.

"Hey, Oliver," Katie finally says, her words slurring together. "Guess what? I'm seventeen! They give you free drinks when it's your birthday!" I can't bring myself to look at her, yet alone speak to her.

My heart feels like its breaking on the inside because she doesn't even realize what she's done. And I have nothing to base her actions on except for the words of a few teenagers. But despite all of this, I can't bring myself to question her. Because if this is what she wants, then so be it.

Not for the first time, I wish someone had taught her how to handle her alcohol a little better.

Anger suddenly overcomes me. I'm angry at Katie for hurting me, but I'm mainly mad at Fred because something tells me that he got her drunk on purpose. Without pausing to think about the consequences, I walk over to the bastard and punch him in the face hard. Katie screams, but I barely hear her. Fred just looks up at me sadly and although I know that he could have stopped that punch if he wanted to, I respect him for taking it.

Without another word to anyone, I walk out of the common room and then out of the castle.

Although I was happier with Katie than I can ever remember being in my life, I can't believe that I was so naïve. I let my heart get in the way of my judgment and actually believed that this relationship could work.

But it never stood a chance.

Because Katie's the type of person who can captivate your heart so entirely that you forget about taking care of yourself. And I've just let her tear my heart to pieces.

**::--::--::--::**

**A bit short, I know, but I've been having a bad week and would really appreciate the reviews :D**

**The next chapter is the whole necklace incident. I'll try to get it out as soon as possible.**


	8. Chapter 8

**::--::--::--::--::**

"There is love of course. And then there's life, its enemy." -Jean Anouilh

**::--::--::--::--::**

_Oliver,_

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! A thousand times I'm sorry! You've got to believe me when I say I didn't know what I was doing. I barely remember anything from last night. I love you! Please, Oliver, just write me back. Or I can sneak into Hogsmeade and we can talk. I don't like Fred in that way—and I never will—please believe me! I know I'm a horrible person and that my actions can't be rationalize away, but I need you more than anything. What I did last night was a mistake.f_

_Forever sorry, _

_Katie_

_--_

_Oliver, _

_I don't know what else to say. You won't respond to any of my letters…I need you to write me back so that we can talk about this. You have no idea how this is affecting me! I haven't talked to Fred since that night and I'm not planning on talking to him ever again. That's got to mean something, right?_

_Please write back soon,_

_Katie_

_--_

_I don't know how you can honestly still be mad at me. I've apologized countless times, I've wrote at least fifty letters—none of which you seem to be capable of responding to. I made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. And it's not like you were ever around. This isn't all my fault, you know. But if you're going to be an ass about it, then fine. I'm not going to keep bothering you._

_Katie_

_--_

_Please, Oliver. Just give me one more chance. I'm a stupid girl—I know that. Just talk to me. I've never needed anything more in my life than to know that you've forgiven me._

_Katie_

_--_

_It's been nearly a year, Oliver. I should have given you up by now, but I just can't. I refuse to let this end because of something I did drunkenly one night. I love you and I don't think that's ever going to change. Angelina said she saw you the other day and she said you didn't look like you were doing much better than I am. Please, Oliver, if you have any feelings left for me at all, can we just put this behind us? I'm sorry. I really am. _

_And this time I'm serious when I say I'm not going to write you again. Ever. Unless you write me back this time. I can't keep living with this false hope. It's killing me._

_Forever yours (whether you want me or not),_

_Katie_

_--_

I flip through some of Katie's old letters and can't help but feel a bit guilty. I do this a bit too often for it to be healthy, but just seeing her writing and knowing that she regrets what she did makes me feel better on the days when I just don't think I can make it through. It's selfish, I know, but I just can't bring myself to ever write her back. It would hurt too much to dredge up those old wounds. I've finally arrived in a happy-ish place in my life—without Katie—and I don't want to disrupt it now.

So why is her last letter haunting me so much? I know that she wasn't kidding—she has no intention of ever contacting me again—but that selfish part of me wants her too.

Katie's not the only one who's been writing me letters, either.

Angelina was bombarding me with Howlers for a while; Fred even wrote to say that it was his fault. Those I replied to. But lately I _have_ grown a bit worried about my old girlfriend. Katie's basically alone at that school now—all of her friends have graduated. I know that she has a few acquaintances in her own year but there's no one left that's ever seemed very close to her.

That hasn't stopped a Ravenclaw named Leanne from owling me, however. Apparently, Katie hasn't been eating or sleeping normally since the school year started. And according to Leanne, it's all my fault. I destroyed her hope.

I try to deny that fact to myself, but I know it's true. I've hurt Katie almost beyond repair and I just don't know what to do to make it better again. If I wrote her now, it's almost like I'm giving up. And I, Oliver Wood, was never one to quit. But I also can't stand the thought of her suffering.

As I have often done in the past few months, I pick up my quill and try to think of a good way to start a letter. Nothing comes to me. I'd much rather talk to her in person, but I can't think of a good way to go about that either.

I throw the parchment across the room in frustration and lay my head down on the table. Why have I screwed this up so much? If I had only written back to her sooner, I wouldn't be stressing out about this right now, dreading how awkward it's going to be if I ever do make contact again.

And I do plan to make contact. Eventually. I might pretend to be the strong guy who was unjustly treated, but I need her back just as much as she seems to need me.

At that moment, a knock sounds on the door of my flat. I'm not expecting anyone, but my teammates from Puddlemere often drop by unannounced.

"Leave me alone," I yell at the door.

"No, Oliver, open up," the distinct voice of Angelina cries from the other side. I groan. The only reason Angelina drops by anymore is tell me that I'm an ass and that I need to do something to get Katie back.

"Angelina, I'm not in the mood. I realize I've royally fucked up my relationship with Katie and I don't need that reiterated right now."

"Shut the fuck up about yourself and open the damn door," she yells fiercely but I hear her voice crack, almost as if she's holding back tears.

I leap up from my chair immediately and unlock the door. When I look into her eyes, I know that something must be wrong. It takes a lot to rattle Angelina and she's definitely rattled.

"Angelina, what's wrong? Who's hurt?"

"It's Katie, Oliver. She's in St. Mungo's."

I never thought that so few words could tear through me so hard. I can't keep the worry and fear off of my face and it takes all the strength that I have to stay on my now unsteady feet.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Angelina just shrugs, her eyes welling over with tears.

"George just called me and told me to get to St. Mungo's. I don't much more besides the fact that she's been hurt pretty badly. She was put under the Imperius Curse to do some of You-Know-Who's dirty work, but something went wrong and she ended up getting cursed herself. She's not conscious. Oliver, George said it could have killed her."

It takes a minute for that to sink in, but Angelina waits patiently as I pull my inner turmoil together. I grab my jacket off of the rack by the door and Disapparate without waiting for Angelina to say anything else.

--

I scour the hospital for nearly twenty minutes before finding the right waiting room. This place is so damn big and it just takes too long to ask for help. The searching calms my nerves a bit, but when I arrive in a room full of people I recognize from Hogwarts, my heart nearly stops.

What am I doing here? The looks on peoples' faces make it plain that I'm not welcome. I'm just the guy who's caused Katie much more pain than necessary this past year. Fred gets up to greet me, but just seeing him sends a wide array of previously buried emotions storming towards me and suddenly I feel like I can't catch my breath.

I turn around and make my way back into the hallway, ignoring the protests of Angelina who seems to have found the waiting room much faster than I did. I just can't handle people right now.

I don't know how long I walk in circles, but being alone gives me time to think. I'm sure her parents are in that waiting room, although I didn't see them. I'm also sure that I'm not their favorite person in the world right now. I just wish I could talk to them. They were always so nice to me and I think I could really offer them some support right about now. It just sucks that I'm too scared to face them.

I battle with myself on which of my current predicaments is more profound: the hassle of having to face those people in the waiting room, or not knowing what's going on. I am confident, however, that Angelina would try to find me at the first sign of change, so I keep on walking.

I swear to the great Gods above that I'm going to kill whoever did this to her!

Before I can even control my own actions, I collapse to the floor on some stairway leading to God knows where and just break down. I haven't let myself cry in years, but I've also never been this worried in my entire life.

As much as I've tried to convince myself otherwise for the past year, I'm still in love with Katie Bell. And if something happens to her before I can ever tell her that…well, I won't be able to live with myself. It's as plain and simple as that.

I refuse to live without her.

Angelina finds me a little while later and I take comfort in her presence even if I am making a fool of myself. She holds me as I release all of my emotions to the world. It's only after we've been crying together for nearly ten minutes that she finds the words to speak.

"They've stabilized her, but she still hasn't woken up. They said that it could be a week or two. Apparently it was a very strong curse and she's lucky to be alive. It has to work its way out of her body before she can regain consciousness. They're going to let visitors in tomorrow."

I just nod in understanding and she gets up, leaving me alone in my misery. I sit there for a long time, trying to deliberate what I should do.

Several hours later, as the staff and residents of the hospital slowly begin to clock out and settle into their beds for the night, I make up my mind. Silently, I lift myself up off of the floor and begin walking towards Katie's ward. The hallway is empty as I reach her door, but as soon as I push it open I notice a Healer in the room.

"Visiting hours are over," she says softly, barely looking up when I enter.

"Please," I beg unabashed. "I just need to see her." The Healer looks up in shock at the emotion in my voice.

"I recognize you," she says. "My daughter has a poster of you in her room." I close my eyes and shake my head in frustration.

"What if signed an autograph for your daughter?" I say, sudden inspiration washing over me. "Then could I have a few minutes alone with Katie?"

"I don't see a problem with that," the Healer says. "But she's not going to be able to hear you or anything."

"I don't care. I just need to say some things—to clear my conscience a bit."

"Okay," she says. "I'll give you five minutes. But if anyone catches you in here, I had nothing to with it. Understand?"

"Perfectly."

"Okay. I'll be right back with that photo for you to sign—five minutes!"

"Five minutes, I got it," I mutter, walking towards Katie's bed and pulling a chair up so that I can sit next to her.

I watch as her chest rises and falls in time with her breathing. It's the first time that I've laid eyes on her in a year, but even all those months and an attack on her life did nothing to diminish her beauty. Her blonde curls fan out around her and the curve of her lips nearly stops my heart. She is the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen. In sleep, she looks peaceful. She isn't troubled by the problems of our world or her life—the troubles that I have caused her.

"I'm sorry, Katie," I say softly, and feel the tears begin to flow once more as I look at her limp body. "I'm sorry I never wrote you back and I'm sorry that you're here now. I love you so much!" I take her hand in mine and rub it gently, although I know that there's no way she could feel it.

As promised, the Healer comes back five minutes later and I sign the picture of me that she must have summoned.

"So, is that your girlfriend?" she asks as we exit the room.

"Not at the moment," I say, my heart breaking all over again as I think about all of the pain I've caused her.

"Well you should sign the guest book nonetheless," she says, gesturing to a book floating next to the door of Katie's room. "That way when she wakes up, she'll know who came to see her."

I think about refusing to sign, but the Healer looks very insistent. I pick up the quill and sign my name. She nods in satisfaction and walks off to her post. As much as I hate to leave Katie alone, I know that there's nothing I can do for her now. I Disapparate, planning on coming back the next day.

--

It takes Katie's body nearly three weeks to fight off the curse and to return to consciousness. For those three weeks, I visit her lifeless body everyday, just to reassure myself that she hasn't made a turn for the worse. The day she wakes up, however, I can't bring myself to enter her room. I just can't face a fully conscious Katie who is perfectly capable of chewing me out for not contacting her in a year.

I know that Angelina has filled Katie in on my mindless devotion to her bedside these past few weeks; and even if she hadn't, the guest book doesn't lie. But Katie still seems determined to stick to her earlier promise and has made no attempt to contact me.

Not that it's her job to or anything, but I still wish that she would. It would save me the trouble.

Angelina drops by everyday, telling me that I need to go by and see Katie before the Healers pronounce her well enough to go back to school. I secretly agree with her, but I'm too stubborn to do anything about it. Merlin, Katie must hate me. I'd hate me right about now.

The day finally comes when the Healers do announce that Katie's completely healed. They let her out of St. Mungo's and she has only a week off before she has to go back to Hogwarts. My stomach turns all weak, begging me to make contact with her, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I fish out Katie's letters again the night before she's scheduled to take the trip back to school. I read through them and somehow draw strength from the confidence Katie must have possessed to contact me day after day even though I never returned her sentiments.

If Katie was willing to go through so much to get us back together, then why can't I? Am I so much of a coward that I can't even call my ex-girlfriend to wish her well after her near-death experience?

I stay awake through the night, debating with myself on a course of action. I had told myself that if Katie died, I wouldn't be able to live without her. But is this any better?

No! This is no better at all.

I force myself to put on some clothes and make myself look decent before I Apparate to Katie's house. I pause at the door, not knowing whether her parents would be awake or not. I glance at my watch and decide that they probably wouldn't be. It's too early.

But people have been telling me that Katie, on the other hand, still doesn't sleep much. Hopefully they're right. I summon Katie's broom from her shed out back and use it to fly to her window. I tap on the pane lightly.

I hear movement from the other side, but she doesn't get out of bed. I tap slightly harder. This time I hear her walk towards her window. She slowly draws the curtains back and jumps when she sees me.

"Damn it," she says, her voice muffled by the window pane. "Is it really necessary to scare a girl like that?" She unlatches her window and I fly in, depositing her broom on her bedroom floor. We both stand there awkwardly, just staring at each other. I feel like I'm about to throw up.

"Katie," I say slowly, realizing that she's not going to start this conversation. She just crosses her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry." She looks up at me in shock. "I was a total jerk this past year and I hope you can forgive me."

"Me forgive you? Oliver, the only thing I want is for _you_ to forgive me."

"For what?" I ask and she smiles, shaking her head at my stupidity. I realize the humor in my words when I think about what she'd said. She was asking me to forgive her for cheating on me and the honest truth is that I forgave her for that months ago. I was just too stubborn to admit it. I've been giving her the silent treatment for so long that I almost forgot what started it in the first place. "Katie, I forgive you. Of course I forgive you. I love you."

I then realize that Katie and I have had a miscommunication somewhere in the past few months (which was bound to happen since I wouldn't respond to her letters). She was never mad at me for not responding to her letters; she was mad at herself for causing me not to want to respond. She'd spent the last few months blaming _herself_ for our lack of contact, while I'd spent the past few months blaming _myself_.

"You visited me in St. Mungo's," she says shyly. "I have the guest book—you were there nearly every day. Why didn't you come when I finally got better?"

"I was scared," I answer immediately. "I should have written you back—or came to see you at Hogwarts—months ago. I was just too stubborn."

"Well, I forgive you, too. Even though I don't think you have anything to be forgiven for. I love you, Oliver." She approaches me slowly and I wrap my arms around her waist, very conscious of the fact that I haven't been this close to her in a long time.

"I'm sorry," I say one more time.

"Me too," she replies.

I lean down and kiss her gently on the lips, knowing that I've only got a few hours with her before she goes back to Hogwarts for her final year. I know that it would have been easier to just never talk to her again—at least until she graduated. It would have saved me a lot of pain over our inevitable separation.

But I never stood a chance.

I can't think straight around Katie and even if it would have saved me the heartache of our parting, right here in this one moment it is all worth it. Because I've got her back, even if it's only for a little while.

--

**I'm pretty sure there are only two more chapters after this. So enjoy. And review :)**

**HorcruxFinder**


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know it's been a while since I updated. Three words: prom dress shopping. Who knew something that tiny could take up so much time?

Anyway, here's the next chapter. It mentions the Quidditch Cup and Puddlemere playing in it. Now, I'm not completely sure about all of the technicalities of the Quidditch League, but I am almost positive that Puddlemere isn't in the same league as the Quidditch World Cup. I think that that is only for "country" teams: England, Bulgaria, France, the United States, etc. I think "area" teams like Puddlemere aren't eligible for that. Anyway, I just called it the Quidditch Cup. It's like the World Cup, only Puddlemere can play in it.

And that was a really long explanation about nothing. Happy reading!

**::--::--::--::--::**

"Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart." –Anonymous

**::--::--::--::--::**

**One Year after the Final Battle**

As Katie snuggles ever closer to me, I take pleasure in the feel of her bare body against mine. Her eyes are closing and I can't take my own off of her. She looks just like an angel lying there next to me. I find myself unconsciously drawing circles on her back with my fingertips, but don't feel the need to stop.

"I love you, Katie," I whisper, not wanting to wake her if she's already fallen asleep. Her eyes flutter open and she smiles up at me.

"I love you too, Oliver." She looks up at me lazily and I can't help the gleam of admiration that I'm sure springs to my eyes. She doesn't seem to notice, however, as weariness begins to overcome her.

I pull her closer to my body and revel in the sense of warmth she brings to me. I am so in love with this girl. She's all I ever think about and my every action revolves around her. The pathetic thing is that I don't even care. Sure, I'm whipped. But strangely, it's the most liberating feeling in the world.

I always thought that being completely attached to another person would be horrible, but I was so wrong. Katie has showed me the error in my reasoning and when I'm around her I can't help but wonder how I ever let her leave my side even for an instance.

As she begins to drift back to sleep, I watch the slow rise and fall of her chest under the blankets of my bed. How right it seems that she's here with me. The very thought of anyone else taking her place frightens me. I push her hair out of her face gently. I wish I could spend every moment just like this. Just me and her. Until the end of time.

As the idea comes to my mind, I sit straight up in bed. Katie groans from next to me at my sudden movement.

"I'm sorry," I say, surprising even myself at how calm my voice sounds. "Katie, I just remembered there's something I have to do. I'll be home in a couple of hours." She sits up next to me and looks into my eyes questioningly.

"What could you possibly have to do at three o' clock in the morning?" I look at the clock on our bedside table and confirm that it is, in fact, much earlier than I thought it was.

"Oh. Maybe I'll wait a little while then."

"Yeah maybe," she laughs lightly, lying back down on the bed. "What do you have to do anyway? You have another girlfriend I don't know about?"

"Never," I say sincerely. She smiles up at me. "Go back to sleep." It doesn't take her long to drift off and when she does, I climb out of bed and put on some clothes.

Am I really going to do this? Am I really going to ask Katie to marry me? It only seems logical, really. I want to be with her for the rest of my life, no exceptions. There has never been—and will never be—another girl in my life that I care for more than Katie. But how the hell am I supposed to go about doing this? I've never asked a girl to marry me before! It's not even that I'm scared she'll say no because, quite frankly, I find that highly unlikely. I run through all of the muggle movies and romance novels that Katie has forced upon me, but still don't see a clear course of action. There is one thing, however, that I, personally, have to do before I even breach this topic with Katie herself.

I have to ask her father for his permission. Call me old-fashioned, but this is something that I have to do in order to marry Katie with a clear conscience. Mr. Bell and I have always been on relatively good terms, so hopefully he has no objection. I look at the clock on the wall.

It's way too early to go knocking on his door, but I physically don't think I can wait here doing nothing now that I've got this thought in my mind. I grab a light jacket and Disapparate, giving myself no time to dwell on the possible consequences.

The door to the home Katie grew up in is almost as familiar to me as my own. I've been over here countless times since the two of us started dating. I even helped her move out of this house and into a flat with Angelina and Alicia when the time came. Of course, her father has no clue that she is currently living under my roof, but I think we'll just keep that little bit of information to ourselves.

Unable to wait any longer (I always _have_ had problems containing my emotions), I knock on the door. I hear the family dog, Butterscotch, bark from the other side, but there is no other movement. I wait a few minutes before knocking again. The barking starts back and this time I hear someone yelling at him to "shut his trap". I knock again for good measure. The door is pulled open a second later.

"Hi, Mr. Bell," I greet. "I know it's early and I'm sorry—"

"It's okay, son," he replies, looking over my shoulder for any sign of his daughter. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's perfect," I admit. "I just couldn't wait any longer to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course. Where are my manners?" He holds the door open and I walk through. "You know, we really should get you a key," he mutters under his breath. He leads me towards the living room and I take a seat on the couch. "Can I get you anything? A beer…or one of those firewhiskeys that Katie is always recommending?"

"No, I'm fine," I answer. I used to find it odd carrying on a normal conversation with a muggle, but Katie's so used to the fact that her dad doesn't have magical abilities that I learned to ignore it quickly. It does seem to create a rift between us now, though.

Mr. Bell takes a seat across from me and stares at me questioningly.

"I really am sorry for dropping in like this," I repeat. "I wasn't really thinking with a level head. I just…Sir, I love your daughter very much and I don't want to spend another day without her ever again. I'm here to ask for your permission to ask your daughter to marry me." That's right, Oliver. Cut to the chase.

A smirk immediately covers his face. His hands run through his hair before answering. "I knew this would happen eventually. I knew it the first time I laid eyes on you with her."

"Well, thank you, Sir…I think."

"No, no, it's a good thing. To be perfectly honest with you, I didn't think it would take you nearly this long to ask her. And I definitely didn't expect you to come to me first."

"It seemed like the right thing to do."

"And I admire you for it. I didn't have the nerve to face Katie's grandfather before I asked her mother to marry me."

"To be completely honest, I'm not that nervous about this. When I bring the topic up with Katie—_then_ I'll be nervous."

"Oliver, son, I have no objection to you personally marrying my daughter, but I do need to know that you are capable of taking care of her. I know nothing about the wizarding world and, although I know you play some sort of sport involving broomsticks, I have no idea what that entails."

"I have one of the highest incomes in the wizarding world—not that I'm bragging, but it is the truth. I make as much as England's football players do." Mr. Bell looks surprised at that fact.

"Are you as famous as them?" He doesn't sound enormously pleased by that thought.

"In a sense, yes. But I assure you that fame won't come in the way of Katie and me. I've been playing Quidditch professionally for five years and it hasn't become a problem yet."

"Is my daughter pregnant, Mr. Wood?" The question startles me and I can feel my eyes widening at his reproach.

"Of course not!" I cry, still stunned that he would even mention such a thing.

"Just making sure…you never know these days."

"Mr. Bell, you've got to know that I would never do anything to hurt Katie. She means more to me than my own life."

"Don't call me Mr. Bell, Son. It's Robert. And you are aware of what you're getting yourself into, aren't you? As soon as you ask my daughter to marry you, that's it. No more women for the rest of your life. There won't be any running away when things get bad—you're stuck with her throughout it all."

"I know. And there's no one I'd rather make it through the tough times with. Does this mean that you're giving me permission?"

"It does. But Oliver?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Next time you decide to visit at five in the bloody morning—don't."

"Understood. And thank you." He walks me to the door, but I barely notice his presence, my head is so filled with thoughts. This is really it. I'm free to ask Katie to be my wife.

It's so hard to believe that this girl is the same one I remember stunning me with her amazing Quidditch skills back in fifth year. Or the girl that I was foolish enough to allow to kiss me, simply so that she could get her first kiss over with.

Now that I think about it, that kiss is what started this whole thing. Quite frankly, I'm not sure my feelings for her would have ever stemmed away from strictly platonic unless she'd asked me to kiss her. Then again, they still might have. She's an amazing girl after all.

I barely remember the next few hours. I walked to Diagon Alley and was there as the Jeweler was just opening. The owner, and elderly gentleman with spectacles much too large for his face, looked at me warily as he let me in. I had to remind myself that I probably wasn't his average customer as I explained to him I was searching for an engagement ring.

Now, I'm not one for jewelry, but I wasn't about to call someone like Angelina for help. Once Angelina knows, the whole world will know about what I am planning to do—including Katie.

In the end, it wasn't all that difficult to find the perfect ring. Katie's a relatively simple girl (I don't mean that in a bad way) and I found a simple enough ring that just screamed her name. Its simplicity didn't hinder the price, however, and even with my larger than normal income, that ring burned a pretty little hole in my pocket. I didn't exactly budget for this.

I place the ring in my jacket pocket and Apparate home. I'm unsurprised to find that Katie's still asleep when I arrive. Without a word, I place the ring in my bedside table for safekeeping and shed my jeans and jacket before snuggling back in to bed with the girl that I hope to spend the rest of my life with.

All that's left to do is find the perfect time to ask her.

**::--::--::--::--::**

**Quidditch Cup, Two Months Later**

The stands go wild as our Seeker closes his hands around the Golden snitch. I watch the scene as if in slow motion. Puddlemere United just won the Quidditch cup! That hasn't happened in nearly two decades! And I was a part of it!

The energy from the crowd feeds into me and I'm more ecstatic than I've ever been in my life. The nerves that I had been able to keep at bay during the game, however, come rushing forward as I begin to think about what I promised myself I would do now.

As the team circles the pitch in victory, I train my eyes to the stands and find the box that I know Katie's watching from. Sure enough, as I fly closer I catch sight of her blonde hair blowing in the cool wind. My heart is pumping out of my chest as I fly around the pitch once more for confidence.

I take a deep breath before flying close to the ground where my coach—and friend—is waiting with a smile plastered onto his face.

"Ollie!" he calls. "You're going to need this!" A tiny ring box comes soaring in my direction. I smile down at my coach as I catch the box in my hands.

My confidence growing slightly, I take off for where Katie's sitting. My actions are no longer private, however, as the announcer seems to have discovered that I'm no where near my celebrating teammates.

"And what is Wood doing?" His voice echoes through the cheers of our fans. "It seems he's heading straight towards one of the Private Boxes!" He's really going to go crazy when he realizes that it's the box for the teams' family and friends.

My eyes lock with Katie's as I fly nearer and she is smiling at me with such intensity that I honestly think she's happier about us winning than I am. I'll have time for excitement later; all that matters right now is Katie and me. Actually, in some ways it's kind of harrowing that we won today. If we hadn't, I wouldn't be putting myself through the torture of asking my girlfriend to marry me in public. And little does she know, but both of our families are here to watch the scene which I'm sure is going to be projected overhead for the whole stadium to see.

Why did I decide to do this like this? I must be seriously mental. Or just incredibly in love.

I land in the box and immediately take Katie in my arms.

"Oh my God, Oliver!" she cries. "That was amazing! Can you believe it?!" I don't bother to reply as I kneel to the ground. Her eyes widen and her hand flies to her mouth as I pull the small ring box into view.

"Mother of Merlin!" I distantly hear the announcer commentate. "Is Wood proposing?"

"Katie Bell," I say, surprising even myself when I sound relatively calm, cool, and collected. "Will you honor me by becoming my wife? Will you marry me?" Her eyes overflow with tears and my heart stops as I wait for her answer.

Words seem to fail her, but she nods mutely. I slip the ring onto her finger, feeling far happier about this development than by the outcome of the Quidditch game.

"Of course I will, you twit. I thought you were never going to ask me!" Figuring no words can adequately display the emotions I am feeling, I close the distance between us with a soft, tender kiss.

"SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES!" The commentator shouts. "By golly, _Witch Weekly_ is going to have a field day with this one!"

I pull away from Katie, but continue to hold her to me closely.

A part of me used to dream about being a bachelor forever—continually flitting from girl to girl.

But I never stood a chance.

Because I just so happened to stumble across that perfect girl—the girl that is capable of taking my breath away with just one look—and I know that I can never be happy until she is completely mine for the rest of both of our lives.

**::--::--::--::--::**

**One chapter left, people. Review!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**::--::--::--::--::**

"'I don't know what kind of life we'll have together, with me always flying off in one direction and you in the other.'

'Well then, it's a good thing the world's round.'"—From Kenneth Oppel's "Starclimber"

**::--::--::--::--::**

Angelina looks lovely as she makes her way down the aisle, but my attention is solely given to my wife. She looks beautiful in her bridesmaid gown, even though her stomach is protruding dangerously forward. Angelina's certainly had a time dealing with a pregnant bridesmaid. Katie's dress has been altered no less than five times and adjustments were still being made as early as this morning. But she's due any day now and I've never been happier.

The people assembled on the lawn of the Burrow get quiet as the vows are exchanged. I must admit that I never expected Angelina and George to tie the knot, but then again I never expected Katie and me to do so either.

Our third wedding anniversary is in two months and these past three years have been perfect—like something you only read about. I was warned that marriage was a chore, something that you only did because it was expected of you. I've never felt that way with Katie.

And when she told me she was pregnant! It was by far the happiest day of my life. I never knew it was possible to love someone so much, but I know for a fact I could not live without Katherine Wood. She's my everything.

The ceremony is simple and quick. Before I know it, the chairs are being swept to the side and tables surround them. I smile to myself. The Weasleys definitely know how to throw a wedding. This _is_ their third one, after all. Only three more children to go…

I quickly make my way through the crowd who is congratulating the new bride and groom to find my wife.

"How're you feeling?" I ask immediately, grabbing her by the arm to steady her as we walk to a nearby table.

"I'm fine, Oliver," she says through clenched teeth, pulling her arm out of my grasp. "And will you please stop asking me that? I'm pregnant—not terminally ill."

"I know," I insist with a shrug, taking her arm once more. She rolls her eyes, but doesn't argue. Aren't pregnant women supposed to enjoy it when you dote on them? Why does Katie have to be so difficult?

I lead her to a table and sit her down before going to retrieve us two plates of food. She tucks into hers happily and I watch her for a few seconds before eating my own.

"What?" she asks. "Never seen a pregnant woman eat before?" I just smile back at her, knowing it's best not to reply to questions such as that. She continues eating.

"Oliver, m'boy!" George yells, making his way to our table. "How are you doing?"

"Good, good," I reply, standing up to embrace my former teammate. "That was a grand ceremony. You and Angelina make a lovely couple."

"Thanks," he says, smirking. "If we are half as happy as you and Katie in three years, I'll be a lucky man."

"I definitely am a lucky man," I say, looking down at my wife. She rolls her eyes, but her cheeks flush nonetheless.

"When are you due, Kates?" George asks, taking a seat at our table.

"I was due last week," Katie replied. "I don't think it's ever coming out, honestly."

"It's? Still don't know if it's a boy or a girl, then?"

"Oliver wanted it to be a surprise," she replies disdainfully.

"Now, don't go blaming this all on me," I retort. "You didn't want to know the sex of the baby, either."

"I certainly did! It would have made shopping for the thing so much easier!" I want to argue the point further, but I realize it would be pointless. I have no proof and she seems pretty adamant about her stance on this.

"You're right, I'm wrong. I'm sorry," I say instead; George smirks at me.

"Hmph," Katie pouts and I can tell she wanted me to continue arguing. She thinks I've been too nice to her lately and I probably have. I'm just too damn excited to argue with her.

George and I begin talking about Quidditch and Puddlemere's chances at the Cup, but he's soon called away to have his first dance with his new wife. As the music begins to play, I remember my first dance with Katie and I try, unsuccessfully, to keep from laughing out loud.

"What?" Katie asks curiously.

"I was just thinking about our first dance," I reply. Katie's smile broadens with the memory and pretty soon she's laughing too.

"How long is it going to take for people to forget that?" she asks. "I only tripped once and you caught me! They should have known better than to tell me to dance in front of everyone I know."

"Yes, they probably should have," I agree. She hits me playfully in the arm and I pretend like it hurts. "Would you like to dance?" I ask, taking her hand as I get up from my chair. Happy couples already cover the dance floor and Katie agrees to join me.

I hold her as tightly to me as I can without crushing her belly, and sway gently with the music. Only a few seconds into our dance, I feel a slight thump on my stomach.

"It's kicking," I say, placing my hand on Katie's dress.

"I hate calling it 'it'," she replies absently. I wrap my arms around her once more, but only a few seconds later she pulls away from me, doubling over in pain.

"Katie, are you okay?" I ask. She doesn't respond, although her face is morphed into a grimace. "Katie?"

"No, I am bloody well not fine!" she shouts at me, drawing the attention of several on-lookers. I fall to my knees beside her. "Are you having contractions? Do you want me to Apparate you to St. Mungo's?"

"Unless you would prefer that I give birth on the Weasley's lawn, yes, I think that would be a grand idea." I grab her arm and prepare to Disapparate, realizing already that this is going to be a long night.

**::--::--::--::**

Although I know they have given Katie all of the pain potions and charms it is safe to give her, her discomfort bothers me greatly. It's hard to see her lying there, writhing in agony, when there is nothing I can do about it.

To be fair, however, she has yet to blame me for causing this, although she does keep insisting that she doesn't want me in the room. Quite frankly, the thought of being in the room when the baby comes freaks me out a bit. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with Katie's body or what's coming out of it, but I'm not sure I want to see my kid until it's clean, not covered in slime or what not.

Katie keeps yelling for more medication and although they can't give her anymore, I advised the Healers to pretend. That will at least appease her a little bit. I stand at the head of the bed, holding Katie's hand tightly in my own. Every time a contraction hits, she squeezes my hand harder. And although I realize I have to stay strong for her, it hurts. Bad. When did she get so strong?

The Healer walks into the room after we've been in St. Mungo's for close to three hours. He's an elderly gentleman, recommended by my own Mum. He's the Healer that delivered me.

"Mrs. Wood," he says happily, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. "Are we doing all right today?" I dread her answer. She tends to get a bit sarcastic when she's upset.

"As well as can be," she responds simply. Well, that was rather anticlimactic. She's been yelling all afternoon.

"Good, good. Well, it looks like you're ready to go, then. I'm going to get you to push on this next one." Her face immediately shines with fear and I squeeze her hand reassuringly. She squeezes back, and then seems to realize that I'm still here.

"You, out!" she says to me. I look at her in shock. I don't know whether I want to be in here or not, but it kind of hurts to be told what to do. "Now!"

"If that's what you want," I say, making my way to the door calmly.

"Oliver, wait," she cries suddenly. "Stay! I can't do this without you." My heart immediately feels about ten times lighter as I take my seat by Katie's head once more.

Before long, the Healer is yelling at Katie to push and Katie is yelling right back. I don't comprehend most of what she's saying and try to drown it out because I'm sure most of it's not nice and any other day I'd be embarrassed by it.

Before long, however, Katie's screams mix in with the cries of a baby and I'm surprised when I feel tears leaking from my own eyes. I'm a father.

"Congratulations," the Healer says, "it's a boy." He picks my son up in his arms and passes it to another Healer to clean. After all of the inspections have been done, my son is brought over to me and I take him into my arms carefully. As I sit down so that Katie can see him, I have no doubt that I am the happiest man on Earth.

**::--::--::--::**

Several hours later, after all of our family and friends have come through and seen the newest member of our family, Katie and I lie on her bed holding our son.

"So," I say, interrupting the silence. "What are we going to name him?" She smiles up at me, playing with his tiny fingers.

"I don't know," she answers. "I'd only picked out names for girls."

"Well that was smart," I laugh. She rolls her eyes.

"Don't you have any ideas?" she asks.

"A few," I admit.

"Well go on. What are they?"

"I'm scared you're going to laugh."

"I won't laugh. Just tell me."

"I like the name Owen," I shrug.

"I like it, too," Katie says, looking down at our sleeping child. "It reminds me of his father. Owen it is."

"Really?"

"Really."

I smile over at my wife and wrap my arm around her shoulders, staring down at our little miracle. I'm enraptured by the image of the two of them and the thought of starting my own family excites me to no end. I don't know if I'm going to be a good father, but I have no doubt that Katie's going to be a good mother and surely I can learn a thing or two from her.

There's a part of me that can't believe Katie and I have made it this far. I've made mistakes and it's a wonder that she's stayed with me for as long as she has. But there is one thing I'm sure of. Without her, I would have never stood a chance.

She's been there with me for years, helping me deal with the toughest moments in my life and helping me through them all. She's my best friend, my wife, the mother of my children. She's the most amazing woman in the world and I know that I could never be as happy with anyone else. She's everything I've ever needed or wanted.

She's my Katie and I wouldn't have it any other way.

**The End.**

**::--::--::--::--::**

**So, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. **

**If you don't like the baby's name, I'm sorry. I've always pictured Katie and Oliver having two children: Owen and Caitlyn. But that's just me.**

**Review, please. And thanks for sticking with me until the end :) I appreciate all of the reviewers, even if I don't have enough time to personally reply to them all. This story wouldn't have gone anywhere without your support. So, thank you again.**

**-SarahBeth.**


End file.
